


Caffeine Fixation

by Absent_Enigma



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: 1st POV, 2nd POV, Aftermath of Violence, And helping Papyrus after them, Awkward Flirting, Basically monster weed for pain, Because yes, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Boredom, Caffeine Addiction, Caused by old injuries, Ch 4 brings the angst, Chronic Pain, Confusion, Dead Inside, Dissociation, Everyone Has Issues, Everything I touch ends up with angst somehow, Hurt/Comfort, Medicinal Drug Use, Multi, Nightmares, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, Papyrus gets defensive and attacks when in too much pain and can't tell if he's safe or not, Papyrus is a terrible flirt, Possessive Behavior, Reader has two cats, Sans has anxiety and stress from his brother's nightmares, Sans is socially inept outside of work, Skeleton kisses, Stalking, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Swapfell Papyrus and Sans are going to be a mix of different interpretations, This was supposed to be a cute fic, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unresolved Tension, coffee shop AU, don't get between sans and his caffeine he will end you, for information, from lack of action, ic and ooc, just go with the flow, much fluff, not bad though, reader is a writer, some easier to work with than others, swapfell pair in undertale post pacifist route, there is fluff, though Papyrus will likely intervene, who spends a lot of time at the coffee shop, yup it’s a slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 86,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25509730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Absent_Enigma/pseuds/Absent_Enigma
Summary: You love to spend time in your favorite coffee shop while you work. But your routine days were soon interrupted by the appearance of a short skeleton monster. As the days go by, you couldn’t help but be amazed yet very concerned over the way this skeleton consistently ordered the most outrageous, over the top caffeinated beverages imaginable.How did the ridiculous amount of caffeine consumption not stop this monster’s soul? And why did he, and another, taller skeleton, begin to make themselves at home in the coffee shop in order to sneak furtive and then very obvious looks at you?
Relationships: Papyrus (Swapfell)/Reader, Sans (Swapfell)/Reader
Comments: 292
Kudos: 865





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because I’m always gonna love me a coffee shop au, no matter what fandom I’m in, and no matter how many of them are already in existence (Swapfell Sans and papyrus immediately jumped to mind for this, so this fic is what it is, and is part of my practicing 2nd pov). To be perfectly honest, I miss writing fanfic and other stories in coffee shops, especially the locally owned ones. 
> 
> Edit 9/27/20: so yeah, this fic turned into an actual story that is gonna be over 100K at this point.

Ah, the coffee shop.  


So many to choose from, and yet so few were within walking distance of your apartment.

Thankfully, the locally-owned cafe you loved to frequent _was_ within perfect walking distance. And as an added bonus, it had the perfect blend of ambient chatter and music that played over the speakers.

In other words, it was the perfect place for you to go to write out ideas for your next novel, while adding a few notes here and there for future ideas.

_Caffeine_ _Fixation_ was your favorite go to place, where you recognized the owners and its customers, even if you usually wore headphones to avoid being spoken to. Especially when you didn’t want to be disturbed, despite not actually listening to anything.

A trick, if you will, that you learned from your friend Natalie.

"Rocking out to the latest songs of 'Not Gonna Hear Anything Without Sound'?" 

Speak of the devil and she will come.

"Of course." You finished the current sentence you'd been typing and looked up. "They have the greatest song of all called ‘No One Bothers Me.'"

"An old favorite." Natalie was standing there with a mischievous grin, holding a bin of customer's used plates and mugs. "My shift ends in two and a half hours. You got time to give me the latest scoop on how your babies are doing?" 

"You just want to hear about how my dumbass man manages to get out of the latest danger he's gotten himself wrapped up in.” You got a kick out of Natalie calling the characters of your novels 'babies', considering they were fictional _and_ most happened to be adults within the story. "Or maybe...you want to know who the villain of the story is?”

"No. Anything but that." Natalie let out an offended gasp, taking an exaggerated step back from your table. "I want to be surprised so that I can properly swoon over them."

"Oh my god, you and everyone else have _got_ to stop lusting after my villains."  You half-lifted your headphones off of your ears. Some people had started to eye the two of you surreptitiously. "And yes, I'm ahead of schedule, so we can chat about my 'babies', without spoilers, when you're done." 

"I will never stop lusting after that vagabond in your last book." Natalie waggled her eye brows before laughing at the face you made. "See you in a bit."

"Mhm." You had already slipped your headphones back over your ears, eyes back on the computer screen. Honestly, despite the villain of your previous novel having no redeeming qualities...they were technically attractive...

Ugh.

Now you were thinking about antagonists instead of the scene with the protagonist you were currently working on. This was how most of your days went, side tracked with different parts of the novel you were working on. But today, something different happened, about a half hour after speaking to Natalie.

Your usual routine got a bit of a change thanks to the appearance of a short skeleton monster, who shoved his way into the coffee shop, sharp purple eye lights fixed on the barista near the register.

The poor man froze up over the sight of the monster stomping up to the counter.

You took in the dark purple shirt and black jacket over it, the black jeans, and...were those? Nearly snorting over the sight of those heels on the boots, you reassessed and decided the skeleton was shorter than you initially thought. A crisp, deep purple bandana was wrapped around neck vertebrae to complete the ensemble. You had all but stopped typing to check out this new customer, and raised a brow at the sight of the skeleton stopping right at the counter. The monster stood rigidly in place, arms clasped behind his back.

“May I...take your order?” The barista managed to get out, after being stared at for a couple of long moments.

“YOU MAY.” The skeleton said in a clipped manner. “I REQUIRE YOUR STRONGEST COFFEE, IN THE LARGEST SIZE, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 8 SHOTS.”

The barista stared at the skeleton in horrified silence before the monster spoke impatiently.

“YOU WILL FIND THAT I AM PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF HANDLING CAFFEINE.”

Wow, this guy had such a big voice.

The barista input the order and rattled off the amount before the skeleton passed over the money. The monster then waited impassively at the end of the counter while his drink was being made, still standing in that rigid way, as though he were prepared to bark orders out at someone. When the order was ready, Natalie set the coffee reluctantly within reach if the monster. 

You didn’t blame your friend.

There was a lot of extra caffeine in that coffee.

From where you were seated, you could just barely see the skeleton’s face, and the few short scars that scored over one eye socket.

“COFFEE WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO ME BUT PROLONG HOW LONG I AM CONSCIOUS. I WILL SLEEP WHEN I AM DUST, HUMAN. COFFEE WILL NOT BE THE CAUSE OF THAT.”  The skeleton’s expression was devoid of emotion as he took the coffee and about faced to head for the door.

You thought that this was the end of it, until the short skeleton stopped by the door. Then, in a moment that left you speechless, the skeleton parted his teeth (damn those were sharp fangs) and downed the large coffee in a few gulps before tossing the empty cup in the trash. Rounding his shoulders, the skeleton opened up the door and marched out of the coffee shop without a backwards glance.

What in the actual...?

Your mind replayed the scene, before you resumed typing, mind drifting away from the novel now and again. You don’t remember seeing a skeleton monster before. Then again, the city was a big place, so it really wasn’t all that surprising for more monsters to be turning up.

But that order...

You couldn’t even begin to imagine consuming that amount of caffeine in one go without your body giving out on you. 

Sleep when one dusted indeed.

Damn, that skeleton really didn’t seem to give any shits.

Placing the monster to the back of your mind, you turned your attention back to your laptop. You needed to continue to make progress with your new novel. Maybe there could be room for a late introduction of a coffee loving background character?  
  


-x-x-x-

The next afternoon, you were back in the cafe as usual, typing idly away at your keyboard. You glanced up from the screen when the door opened unexpectedly loudly.

It was the same skeleton monster from yesterday. He walked inside like he owned the place, and marched up to the counter to figure lace his order.

You internally cringe over the order that was all but being barked out.

“HUMAN, I REQUIRE A LARGE COFFEE WITH 5 EXTRA SHOTS AND TWO ENERGY PACKETS.”

The current barista wore a rather awed expression as they took the payment.

Same as before, the skeleton picked up his drink, walked to the door and downed the coffee. There was no change in his expression before he discarded the cup and continued on his way out the door.

You definitely had to add a character now. 

But still, holy shit.

Was that monster going to be okay with consuming that much caffeine?

You glanced over to the counter to make eye contact with Nicole, and she merely shook her head and offered a shrug, as if she’d had other orders just as heart-stopping before.

-x-x-x-

The rest of the week went by much the same, though you occasionally changed things up by going on errands thrown in between visits to the coffee shop.

And every day, without fail, the short skeleton monster showed up at the cafe at exactly 2 in the afternoon. And each time, his order involved a demand that held a range of worryingly over caffeinated beverages that boarded on dangerous.

Two of these days, the skeleton added  in a couple of packets of sugar before the liquid was downed with the usual dispassionate expression, those purple eye lights occasionally flickering.

Finally, Friday arrived, and you could no longer hold back as you finally let out a small laugh over the absurdity you had been a witness to this whole week. You did not expect to see the skeleton monster sharply turn his head in your direction, but you didn’t get the chance to see if he saw you or not. In an attempt to not be caught,  you pretended to be snickering at something on your computer screen. It must have worked, as out of you periphery, the skeleton finished his drink and left the shop. 

That was close. 

The rest of your afternoon went by normally. When it was 4 pm, you packed your bag and left.

On your way home, you noticed a tall skeleton wearing a black hoodie with purple trim and a very fluffy tan lined hood, casually leaning against a lamp pole. The skeleton was staring down at a phone in his skeletal hand. For some odd reason, you couldn’t help but feel like he’d been watching you, despite the fact that the hood was pulled up and the single eye light was not looking in your direction.  


Glancing back at the cafe, you could clearly see where you had been sitting.  


It was probably just a coincidence. 

When you turned back to look at the skeleton again, he was already pushing away from the lamp post, walking in the opposite direction of your apartment complex.

Okay...

That was a little weird, but there wasn’t anything outwardly odd about someone loitering around on their phone.

With a shake of your head, you continued on your way home. There was no sign of any other monster, skeleton or otherwise, by the time you reached your apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

The weekend had finally arrived. 

While this was no different than any other day of the week, you liked to change things up on the weekend. Like taking care of household chores and other little things here and there that you usually ignored while working on your novel. You also spent more time with your two kitties, because they tended to act as if you had abandoned them forever during the weekday.  But as soon as those chores were done, and you’d had some cuddle time with your cats, off you went to _Caffeine Fixation_.

It really was the best place to type that you had found in the city, apart from your own apartment. A place that allowed for creativity and brainstorming. There was coffee that was not too expensive, and you usually opted for the one that allowed for refills at half price, and the small menu of treats and small meals that changed depending on the time of day. _Caffeine Fixation_ had a very comfy atmosphere, and the customers who came and went minded their own business, which better allowed you to focus on your work.

Had you mentioned how wonderful the smell of the coffee was?

This coffee shop really was the best, especially early in the morning on the weekend.

It was the perfect time to get some nitty gritty, necessary dialogue that was driving you mad because it wouldn't cooperate.

Much to your amusement, even at 2pm on a Saturday, the short skeleton made an appearance. And this time, he was in the company of the tall skeleton in the purple hoodie that you’d seen loitering outside the cafe before. 

So, they knew each other then? 

You hadn't wanted to assume that just because they were both skeleton monsters, that they automatically knew one another. But the familiarity was confirmed by the shorter of the two monsters crossed his arms and quietly reprimanded the taller, who merely laughed easily in return, as if hearing a good joke. The shorter appeared to puff up indignantly in response, as if offended.

A quiet laugh accidentally slipped out of you. And unlike avoiding the smaller skeleton's eye lights, you just knew that the taller monster had heard you, and saw you watching them. Mainly because he turned his skull and, after appraising you for a moment from beneath the fluffy hood, winked an eye socket at you before turning away.

The heck?

Why’d the monster wink at you?

And how did a monster made of bones _wink?_

The short skeleton didn’t see the taller’s actions as he went about ordering his usual death-defying caffeinated beverage. Both you and the taller skeleton watched as the shorter added several packets of sugar into the drink before the monster tapped his foot impatiently and glared back at the taller monster.

The skeleton rolled his single eye light in return, clearly amused by something, before he quietly went up to the counter to order. Once finished, he went and waited idly next to the other skeleton. 

The shorter monster whispered something harshly to the other, who had leaned over to listen before he straightened back up and offered an indifferent shrug. 

You watched as the short skeleton drank his coffee down alarmingly fast, tossed an irritable look at his companion, before he turned on his heel and stormed out the door. Maybe he was angry about the other monster being dismissive to whatever had been said? Your attention briefly settled on the back of the purple hoodie the skeleton wore. There was a vague wonder of why his hood was up when you were sure it had been down the evening you'd first seen him.

The skeleton gave a quiet nod of thanks when his order was finished. The  monster produced a pen out of his pocket. The skeleton’s purple eye li ght briefly settled on the door, before it dropped down to the cup. A serene-looking smile seemed to twitch across the sharp fangs that were this monster’s teeth as he began to scribble on the side of his order. He stared at the cup for a moment, almost seeming to hesitate. With a tiny shrug, the skeleton seemed satisfied as he tucked the pen away and approached you.

Wait. 

What?  


Why was he walking over to _you_?

You felt some trepidation over the tall skeleton coming to a halt alongside your table.You raised a brow at him, still wearing your headphones. But you were distracted by whatever you were going to do when you caught a better glimpse of his face, and saw why the reason why there was only a single eye light.

There was a nasty crack of an injury that went from the top of the right eye socket to just beneath it, causing the socket to scrunch up to nearly closed.

"Um..." Wow, how eloquent. Sure, awkwardly indicate that you weren't actually listening to anything. Decision made to not gape at what appeared to be an old injury, you kept your focus on his other eye light. "Hi?"

The monster’s jaw bone seemed to shift as it crooked up, allowing the skeleton's sharp fangs to offer something of an amused smile. The motion showed off one large gold canine fang. His purple eye light became a little smaller as he studied your face for a moment, before he quietly set the drink down next to your near empty one. The monster walked away without a word, shoulders a little hunched over as he went to the door. The tall skeleton paused, peeking out from beneath hood at you before he slowly raised a hand to give a very lazy wave before he exited the building. 

Um...Ok?

Why did that skeleton monster buy you a drink? You'd only ever seen him that one evening?

Putting the odd little encounter to the side, you check what the beverage was, and brightened. It was a drink that you enjoyed, but only got on the rare occasion because it was expensive. You turned the cup and found that the skeleton had written a message on it, all in lowercase.

_ name’s papyrus. my bro is sans.  _

_ we’re new to the city. _

_ sans really likes the coffee here, _

_ so you’ll prob start to see us here more often. _

Were...all monsters this open? Or was it just this one in particular? Why did he feel the need to indirectly inform you of this information? Was this some odd cultural thing of monsters telling someone their name, or was it just this particular monster?

But back to the drink in front of you.

How did the monster...rather, how did Papyrus know what one of your favorite drinks here was? You thought that maybe you'd lamented about getting the tasty beverage at some point to Natalie, but you didn’t think you had an eavesdropper.

A lucky guess, perhaps?

Well, if nothing else, it seemed like you would be witnessing the brusque manner of the shorter skeleton with his caffeine addiction more often.

Sans.

Already, you were beginning to get new ideas for future novels, which you were quick to jot down in a new document on your computer. Once satisfied with what you’d worked on for the day, you returned home. You barely had time to shut the door before you were assailed by a flash of orange fur ramming itself into your legs.

“I wasn’t gone that long, Tally.” You smile down at your crazy kitty, who twined between your legs as he began to meow plaintively. He was letting you know just what he thought about you being gone for a fourth of the day. "Really, I've been gone longer before."

Tally head butted your leg again, disagreeing with your words. 

You smiled down at the furry goofball. Tally wasn’t the most inventive name, but it made sense to you because as a kitten, you kept tally marks of how many times he pounced on your feet. Tally still enjoyed it as a pastime to this day, only with claws.

“Yes, yes, I missed you too.It’s not like your sister wasn’t able to play with you or keep you company today.”

Sashay, your other cat, was a calico. She lived up to her name, as she always made an overly dramatic appearance. She came to see what the commotion was before coming to a halt to stare at you in that haughty cat way.

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry for taking so long to come home, but I am early for dinner.” You turned your attention to Tally as you scooped him up and stood. “Guess what? I saw those skeletons again. Seems like they are new to the city.” You gave  Tally a scratch beneath his chin, drawing out an immediate thrum of a purr. “I can’t believe he is still ordering all those shots in the coffee. He even bought three coffees one day, each with energy packets and sugar on top of the shots. And he drank two of them before he left.”

Tally yawned wide, supremely unconcerned with what you were telling him. With a lazy twist, Tally wiggled out of your grasp and headed for the kitchen, tail raised with the tip curling toward his back. Sashay followed swiftly after him, not sparing you another look.

“Guess you two are hungry.” You snort as you followed after them, hearing as Tally began to meow in an increasingly desperate manner.

Sashay sat near the food dishes as she stared unblinkingly up at you. 

“Okay, okay, I’m coming. Not like you two didn’t have a full bowl when I left this morning.”

Tally let out a mournful little mew.

Sashay continued to stare haughtily at you before slowly lifting a paw to clean in a very fastidious way.

As you got the cat food out, you wonder if Sans really would continue to frequent _Caffeine Fixation_. For whatever reason, you were really curious to see just how long he would go for the same heart-stopping beverages that he had been ordering. And would Papyrus come back as well? You were still stumped over why he had bought you a cup of your favorite beverage. Watching your cats eat like they hadn't been fed for days, you hoped that it wasn’t too creepy to watch Sans order his drinks. 

People watching was a fascinating pastime for you as you worked on your novels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so y`all know, I'm currently going aksdjsjw ahhhhhh wut 'cause I just logged on to finish editing ch 2 so, uh...expect this fic to get to at least ch 4, maybe even 5, by the end of the weekend. And btw, ch 4 will be from Papyrus` POV (this fic is mainly 2nd POV except for an occasional 1st POV. I wanted some background for the skeles without them outright saying everything to the reader aka that's where the 'everyone has issues' tag comes in).


	3. Chapter 3

There was a gradual change that you’d taken notice of.  


While Sans continued to show up each afternoon for his coffee, more often than not, Papyrus now joined him. But unlike Sans, who stolidly downed his drink and left, Papyrus began to hang around the cafe. The tall skeleton monster had taken to planting himself at a small corner table with his back to the wall, his laptop, a book and some basic brew coffee spread out before him. And on occasion, there was what appeared to be a bottle of bbq sauce, despite no food being in sight.   


Finding out that Papyrus drank straight from the bbq sauce bottle was not something you were sure you had wanted to find out but there you were.

Gross.

Oh well, maybe it tasted good to monsters.

Thanks to your interest in taking in the activity around you while typing, you noticed that there was some wariness over Papyrus’ extended stay in the cafe. It wasn’t even anger or disgust toward monsters. The glances sent the skeleton’s way seemed more like no one knew what to make of him. Especially since Papyrus didn’t seem interested in having his hood lowered while indoors.

It was a relief that no one made a big fuss. 

You’d hate to have to find another cafe to go to. There was no reason to make a big deal about a monster deciding to spend time somewhere when humans, including you, did the same exact thing.  And while you couldn’t be entirely certain, you had this odd feeling that you were being watched. But whenever you glanced away from your screen to check, Papyrus always seemed to be looking at either the screen of his phone or his laptop.

A week later, there was yet another change.

Sans had begun to remain in the cafe with his brother, instead of just throwing back his drink and leaving.

Today in particular was quite interesting.

Since you were ahead of schedule (for once) you allowed yourself a quick peek to see what was going on with the two monsters this afternoon.

Papyrus slumped in his seat, calmly focused on whatever was on his laptop screen. Sans was close to tearing a book that he was reading in half, while he steadily made his way through at least three coffees.

You were honestly surprised that Sans  didn’t vibrate straight out of his seat from the amount of caffeine he was consuming. Why wasn't Papyrus more concerned about what his brother was drinking? Unless...maybe caffeine really _didn’t_ affect monsters as much as it did humans?  


You went back to typing.

As the days went by, something different would happen now and again.

This included the times that Papyrus silently, yet with a hint of a smile, left a cup of your favorite yet expensive coffee on your table.  


Sometimes when this happened, you would watch Papyrus slump back onto a seat a few tables away, seated across from Sans. The shorter monster would then proceed to stare at you in an unsettling manner for at least half a minute before Sans would glare at his brother. Papyrus would either focus on his laptop or his phone, which inevitably caused Sans to throw a tantrum of some kind before stalking out of the building.  


This happened on numerous occasions.  


What’s more, you hadn’t even begun to notice the furtive glances both skeletons sent in your general direction, when they thought you weren’t looking. You didn't realize what the brothers were doing this until Natalie pointed it out to you. You were not entirely sure what you thought of this, but since no one was following you home after you left the cafe, you figured it was probably nothing to worry about.

Until there was yet another change in routine.

One day, about a month after the skeleton brothers had begun to frequent _Caffeine Fixation_ , you found a message scrawled on the to-go cup of coffee that Papyrus brought over to you. He hadn't left any other messages since the one he'd used to introduce himself and his brother. 

_wanna chat?_

You raise your brow at that.

That was...an interesting way to ask.  Maybe Natalie was right about the monsters scoping you out.

There was another message right beneath the first one.

_ if you want to, that is. _  
_just wait until my brother leaves._  
_he is a little overprotective at times_.

You could understand that from what Natalie said about her own brothers. You raised your head to find a steady purple eye light watching you curiously. You hesitated before deciding what the hell, you had no life outside of working on your novels. What would it hurt to talk to a monster? With that in mind, you gave a  slight incline of your head when Sans wasn’t looking.

Papyrus seemed pleased with your response as his rather malleable jaw twitched into an unmistakable smile. He busied himself with his laptop when Sans looked over at him in confusion, only to receive a head-shake and a comment. Whatever had been said caused the shorter monster roll his eye lights and let out an audible, exasperated sigh. Sans glowered are his brother after that, before he stood and picked up his coffee, muttering something quickly and crossly to Papyrus.

You watched this exchange with amusement because yes, now that you thought about it, it looked like an older sibling scolding the younger about something. With a snort of a poorly hidden laugh, you watched as Sans stomped out of the cafe, with Papyrus’ attention on his phone. After a few moments, the monster’s skull raised. Papyrus watched the windows for a moment, before he slowly got to his feet and quietly gathered up his laptop and coffee. Then, he slouched over to your  table with an almost smug expression as he winked his good eye socket at you.

”you got room for one more?” 

Oh my god, was this skeleton monster flirting with you? Or maybe he was just teasing you? To be honest, you found it hard to tell one way or another.

“Yeah...?" You said, waving a hand to indicate the chair across from you. You almost laughed at how quickly Papyrus set up his laptop and settled into the seat.

“been wanting to talk with you since i bought you that drink.” Papyrus said, staring down at the table.

Well, that was one way to start a slightly awkward conversation.

“Which one?”

”Hm?” Papyrus’ skull lifted to look at you.

”You’ve gotten me a couple of drinks this past month.” You pointed out.

”hnn, right.” Papyrus said distractedly, a frown briefly crossing his fangs before it was gone. “musta lost track of it.” The skeleton was quiet for a moment before he answered. “guess the first drink, when i told you my name, and my bro’s.”

“Why did you want to talk to me?” You asked, genuinely curious. It wasn’t like you were anything special within the other customers of the coffee shop. You basically kept to yourself and your laptop with occasional breaks to talk with your friend Natalie when she was on her break.

“i noticed that you caught my brother’s interest before, when you laughed at his drink choice. i was waiting for him outside.” Papyrus’ voice reflected an amused fondness. “and since sans is socially inept, he’s continued to come here to observe you, and decided to drag me into it along the way.” Papyrus chuckled at your incredulous look.

“Wait. He heard me?” You frowned. “He knew why I was laughing?”

“yeah. didn’t look away from him fast enough so he saw you.” Papyrus nodded.

“And you saw all this from outside the cafe?” It was entirely possible, you supposed, since you’d only been seeing what Sans had been up to.

”yup.” Papyrus said easily, rolling his shoulder in a shrug. “but as i said, he’s socially inept, so he didn’t know how to approach you.” Papyrus indicated your headphones. “those work with most humans and monsters. sans is no exception. if someone doesn’t look like they want to be bothered, he won’t engage unless necessary.” That single eye light flickered a little. “though sans did start to come here for the coffee too, once he realized he liked it. even if he’s still twisting himself in knots over confronting you.”

“So you wanted to...talk about your brother with me?” You were a bit confused, because that sure was what it sounded like, what with the happy yet exasperatedly fond way Papyrus spoke of his sans. But then you saw the mischievous way Papyrus’ single eye light got a bit brighter.

“nah, he’s on his own if he wants to speak to you.” Papyrus propped the bottom of his jawbone on a hand, sharp mandible twitching up into a grin. “i just wanted to talk to you myself to see why he’s so interested. i thought it might be because he doesn’t like it when people make fun of him but...i decided that it wasn’t that.” The monster gave you a quick once over. “maybe it isn’t even anything in particular. guess it could be that it’s refreshing to not have a human recoil at the sight of us.”

“Why would I do that?” You were baffled, taking a moment to look Papyrus over in return. His fluffy hood was up again, but surely the scar over his right eye socket wasn’t a cause for avoidance, was it? “Do people _still_ have an issue with monsters? It’s been ten years since you guys have come to the surface!”

“eh, some humans will never be comfortable around monsters no matter how long it’s been, but no, that’s not it.” Papyrus was still faintly smiling, apparently liking your affront on his and his brother’s behalf. “my bro and i have a different problem, and it isn’t due to our scars.”

“Wait.” You had a flash of realization, and you frowned. “Is it because you’re  _skeleton_ monsters?”

“yup.”

“That’s so stupid.” You huffed. “Seriously? People were so weird.”

“humans _are_ kind of weird about living, breathing skeletons.” Papyrus said as he idly clacked the tip of his phalanges against the table, resting his jaw heavier on his other hand. Papyrus’ eye light went a little dim as he sighed. “i couldn’t care less, since i can take advantage of the irrational fear if need be, but sans...he doesn’t take rejection well, nor does he like the weirded out stares.”

“Just from walking around outside?” You frowned, your own fingers tapping against your coffee mug. “What about...jobs? There isn’t supposed to be any discrimination during the hiring process, right?”

“there technically isn’t, but there will always be a loophole. but it seems like so long as we aren’t out in the open, nobody gives a damn what we do for work, apparently.” Papyrus waved a hand at his computer screen. “i work remotely, so that solves the whole no one having to interact with a skeleton in person. but my brother...he’s used to being in charge and enjoys making himself useful. with all the rejections lately...he is less himself right now.”

“What about the monster’s royal guard? Don’t they ask for volunteers?” You ventured after a brief moment of silence. At this point, you were rather interested in this conversation. It had been a long time since you’d spoken to someone outside of your friend Natalie or a few people over the phone. 

“there are...some problems with my brother being apart of it. he was a captain but not...here.” Papyrus trailed off, a strange look in his eye socket before he shook his skull. “never mind. it’s complicated. not sure that should be...a topic of discussion for our first chat.”

There seemed to be a finality to that particular topic and Papyrus didn’t speak of it again.

After a few more brief, basic exchanges between you and Papyrus, the two of you lapsed into silence and began to work on your laptops. You don’t press to keep the conversation going, instead opting to focus on making an addition in one of your note documents. A note about a character with a complex background. You added secrets into their bio.

It’s a companionable silence until you hear a phone ring.

You ended up snickering over the way Papyrus answered his phone. He held it  a couple of inches away from the side of his skull, and for good reason. A familiar voice boomed from the other end of it, loud enough for you to clearly hear the words.

”PAPYRUS! GET YOUR LAZYBONES COCCYX BACK HOME THIS INSTANT! I HAVE SOMETHING TO DISCUSS WITH YOU.”

”sure thing, bro.” Papyrus’ voice was soft and quiet in comparison to his brother’s, as he hung up and pocketed his phone.

“Got to go, huh?” You meet Papyrus’ gaze, and caught the glint of the golden fang.

“sounds like it.” Papyrus agreed, as he slowly began to pack up his laptop. Rising, Papyrus retrieved his empty cup, but before he turned to leave, he hesitated. The monster then offered that crooked smile of his. “want to talk again sometime?”

“Sure.” You agreed, wondering why Papyrus seemed surprised with your response. But he seemed happy enough, as he ducked his skull deep within his hood and left the cafe. You turned back to your laptop’s screen. Had you kept watching, you would have seen the odd way that Papyrus had vanished from view. The monster had passed behind one of those old, out of service phone booths the city hadn’t yet removed. There had been a wall on the other side of it, but Papyrus hadn’t walked into that wall.

The skeleton seemed to have just vanished into thin air.

And you hadn’t seen a thing, but then again, no one else in the vicinity had either.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post this ch before I even finished editing it but I resisted. I’m just rather excited about papyrus finally talking and then the next chapter skshshjd. 
> 
> I`ll make sure that I don't rush ch 4 either, so it may actually be a Monday or Tuesday update, on account that Papyrus wouldn't cooperate without adding in a nightmare aftermath and angst, so...the editing will take a bit longer (for this fic, Papyrus is the one that experienced the resets in the Swapfell underground, so he’s still...dealing with that, as well as suddenly ending up in a pacifist post route- he’s not taking any of it well, including unhealthy coping mechanisms, but this is why there was the hesitation/uncertainty about the number of drinks he bought for the reader in this ch). Omg papyrus this fic wasn't supposed to have heavy edits. There`s also going to be several tags added with the next ch.
> 
> Edit: omg I hope y’all are ok with ch 4 being about the length of all the other chapters combined. Papyrus is a mess and Sans isn’t much better.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that this chapter is a (rather long) delve into Papyrus' mind (1st pov) of what’s going on with him and Sans when they aren’t scoping out the reader in the coffee shop. So prepare for that dose of incoming angst. And as fair warning, since it is just Sans and Papyrus in this chapter, it's gonna feel like a different fic right up until the coffee shop is brought up in passing.
> 
> Updated the tags because both Papyrus and Sans are a mess with little to no healthy coping methods in this fic. If I missed any tags that should be included, let me know.

“ _Why bother resisting? You know what’s going to happen next.”_

_ I did know what happened next. I knew all too well what would befall me and the other monsters should I fail. _

_ Pain. _

_ ”Too bad. Looks like you failed again. Guess we’ll just have to see if you can do better during the next reset.” _

_ Searing agony tore across my ribs, collar bone and then-_

Darkness greeted my sight as I woke in a rush of adrenaline and panic, grasping at my injured bones through my tank.

Nothing.

There were no wounds.

My hand tightened in the tank as I struggled to make sense of what was going on.

A reset.

There had to have been a reset, but unlike the last time, I was completely exhausted. More so than was usual for me. But there had been no accidental lashing out of magic, which left me without an outlet. I grimaced once I realized that my tank was soaked with magic and clung to my bones. Groaning, I dipped a couple phalange beneath the fabric and yup. My bones were slick with the magic that had manifested from the nightmare. Magic that I’d been unable to expel in the usual destructive way.

What an unpleasant sensation.

I irritably wiped my fingers against the sheets tangled around me. To add to a shitty wake up, a deep ache began to settle into my right eye socket. Again, I checked myself with the tips of my fingers, and came away with magic.

Damn.

There was more magic gathered there than I expected.

Shifting onto my back, I slung an arm over my sockets it a pitiful attempt to convince myself that everything was fine. It worked about as well as telling Sans that I would get up when he knocked on my door, only to kick it down and drag me out ten minutes later when I went back to sleep.

Why did everything hurt so much right now, and how was my socket still leaking all of that excess magic? 

I couldn’t keep doing this.

Always being tired.

Exhausted.

Forced to feel the way every bone in my body hurt, thrumming with extra magic that I couldn’t release. There was a reason for that, but at the moment, with that stabbing ache in my socket becoming more prominent, I couldn’t be bothered to remember.

What was even the point?

It would all reset, just like it always did.

There would be all the same conversations and all of the same fights, leading up to either being attacked by another monster, or taking damage from a desperate child trying to survive. Why should I even bother getting up today, when it was useless to try and change what would be inevitable? The pain would just continue on as well, getting worse and worse instead of going back to the way it had used to be. Back when I could see out of both of my eye sockets, and not have to constantly keep my right socket closed. Instead, I had go to deal with accidental magic flaring in a way that caused me that familiar agonizing pang in both eye socket and my soul.

The sound of near-silent footsteps drew me reluctantly back to my reality. 

It seemed a bit early for an ambush.

I guess if my body was to be in terrible shape today, then why not an attack on top of it? And to make matters more dangerous, I couldn’t prevent the bones of my body from rattling, which would give away my position to anyone with even a little sense to know what the sound meant. When I sat up and attempted to draw on my magic to send a few bone attacks out as a deterrent, a sudden, ripping pain tore through my skull. It flared so badly that I couldn’t withhold a gasp as I overbalanced and fell off my bed in a clatter of bones.

The footsteps halted.

No.

This helplessness was not something I was used to. Why wasn’t my magic cooperating? Why was it only causing my socket more pain? I could still form the magic, despite the crack over my socket.

What was going on?

With my fangs clenched together against the ache pulsing in my soul and socket, I crawled under the bed, though it was a tight fit. The rattling was a horrible inconvenience right now, and I could practically hear my brother’s condescending voice scoffing over acting like a babybones. But I couldn’t be caught out in the open with my magic unbalanced as it was.  Because that was what was wrong, even if the reason still eluded me, and I couldn’t reason anything out with the amount of pain I was in. My good eye light narrowed into a pinprick at a tear in the carpet, and I made an attempt to focus on realigning my magic. It shouldn’t have been such a difficult thing but as I heard the footsteps draw nearer to my door, I knew then that something was very wrong. I hadn’t had this much trouble with my own magic in a very long time.  


There was a single loud knock on the door.

I didn’t even begin to wonder why my soon to be attacker would bother announcing their presence, unless they could sense my temporary weakness.

This was very bad.

I didn’t have my magic regulated by a long shot, and there was no way I was in any shape to defend myself. Was Sans all right? He would have heard an intruder in our home, wouldn’t he? My phalanges scrabbled at the floor in a poor attempt to prevent myself from rattling my bones at a louder volume than before. I let out a faint whine of discomfort over the way magic continued to to leak out of my broken eye socket. There was no use focusing on anything. I was simply in too much soul pain to be much use to anyone, let alone myself. My door abruptly slammed open, accompanied by a distinct magic, and instead of bracing myself, I felt a wave of relief.  


It was Sans, not an intruder.

I stopped attempting to hold back my rattling, and groaned something as that seemed to make me feel even worse. Achy bones, paralyzing pangs to my socket, and covered in excess magic over my bones.  Again, I was putting my brother through dealing with another one of my nightmare aftermaths.  


Like many previous resets.

”Papyrus?” Sans’ voice was quiet, like it always was when this happened to me. “Where are you?”

It wasn’t like he expected me to answer, so all I did was lie there and rattle like a babybones, all while my magic continued to leak out.

“Under the bed, brother? It’s been years since you crawled under one.” I heard Sans settling down on one side of the bed. “Not since we were babybones.”

I heard more than saw Sans crawl under the bed with me.

It was a bit surprising, but not, once I really thought about it. While Sans was appalled with the state of my room, he wouldn’t leave me to suffer in my own mind. He must have sensed that it had been a particularly nasty nightmare. Though I did have the feeling that Sans hadn’t gotten dressed for the day, because he wouldn’t have so willingly crawled underneath the bed so swiftly. With all my not caring about what happened, my bedroom was very neglected in terms of cleanliness. The carpet beneath the bed hadn’t been vacuumed in years, like the rest of my room, much to my brothers disgust.

A sharp lance of pure agony ran its course through my skull before settling in my damaged socket. I felt the tips of a glove brush over it and I let out a growl in response. It hurt, that touch, and in that moment, anything too close to the ache became a danger to me. When the glove brushed my socket again, I automatically snapped my fangs down onto the offensive touch. I winced as, after my fangs latched into the leather, my skull was forced to the ground. I bit down harder, snarling like a trapped animal, until a skeletal hand covered my right socket and a different kind of magic flowed out.

“Stop.” A voice said firmly to me. “I won’t hurt you, stupid mongrel.” The skeletal hand rested heavily over my socket along with a heavy, shaky exhale. “...should have told me it was getting worse.”

It took a moment longer after the words had been spoken for my hazy, pain-laced mind to realize that I was biting my own brother’s arm down to the bone through his glove. I carefully parted my fangs to allow Sans to remove his arm, and I had a second to wonder if I had cracked bone. The bite had been swift, with the intention to incapacitate.

Healing magic washed over my socket, distracting me.

“wait.” I jerked my skull to the side, my voice pathetically weak. “don’t. it’s too dangerous.” I really didn’t want Sans to waste his magic on me. Not even to alleviate the pain that I was currently in. It was more important to me that Sans be able to deter potential attackers. The ache would go away eventually. 

At least, it should have, especially with the aid of my brother's usually hidden healing ability. 

So...why _didn’t_ the pain go away? Why wasn’t my socket back to the way it had been? There had been a reset, so shouldn’t my cracked socket not be as bad now? My good eye light was still out, as it had been sometime between falling off the bed and going underneath it.

"I will use my magic as I like." Sans said, sounding oddly serious.

“it’ll tire you out. don’t want you to get hurt because of me.” I wasn’t exactly helping my case by continuing to shake and rattle, so I guess there was no way to reassure Sans that I was fine. 

"Be silent and let me work.” Sans curtly told me, his hand resting heavier against my socket. 

I might have protested, but right now, it would take too much energy to argue. So I let myself relax as much as I could on the dusty floor, to allow Sans to let his healing magic pulse against my skull. There was no way I would have said no to my brother, and the effort he put into his magic was showing. Slowly, the agony in my skull began to fade, though it wasn’t completely gone.

It was enough.

With that amount of healing, I was able to let my eye light to flicker back into existence In my good socket. I was certain that it was very dim in color, and definitely hazy, considering I wasn’t able to focus very well. But I could see well enough to see Sans staring at me with bright purple lights that were searching my face in a grim way.

Was something wrong?

Despite the cramped space, I slowly lifted a hand to rest it over my brother’s. I felt the magic fade, and slowly moved Sans hand off of my scarred eye socket. 

“Get out from under the bed.” Sans ordered gruffly, as he freed his hand from mine and wriggled out first.

I felt a smile tug at my teeth as Sans let out a disgruntled sigh.

”I ought to attach a vacuum to one of your hands. Perhaps that will encourage you to remember to clean this disaster zone once in awhile.”

The ache I felt was a little more bearable as I laboriously dragged my body out from beneath the bed. I got stuck halfway out and just gave up then and there as I rested my skull on the dirty, clothes strewn floor. I didn’t even resist when Sans seized my arms and dragged me out the rest of the way. My thoughts were giving me trouble again, but I was making an attempt to be in the here and now, as I was certain that Sans would insist that I change.

The anticipated demand never came.

In place of this, I felt Sans’ magic flare up, and without preamble, cut through my tank down the length of my spine.

I didn’t flinch.

It was too much of an effort.

Even thinking about removing the ruined article of clothing was going nowhere. But again, Sans took care of the decision for me by stripping the ruined tank top off. I may as well have been unconscious for all the help I was right now. But Sans never said a word, and after briefly leaving me alone, he returned. A warm cloth ran carefully down the vertebrae, veering off now and again over my ribs.

It clicked that Sans was meticulously cleaning my bones of the saturated magic.

I wondered if I may have dozed off at some point, due to the sensation of my bones being cleaned of magic. It had done wonders to relax me, but I was dragged from that semi-peaceful state by Sans propping me up against a wall. Leaning forward at a light touch, I felt something soft draped over my shoulders. I realized after staring at it that it was one of those button up, colorfully rude atrocious that I had purchased to annoy my brother.

Wait.

Bought?

Hadn't I found it in the dump?

Another inconsistency that I didn’t know what to do about.

When Sans lifted one of sleeves of the shirt, I automatically stuck my arm through it, still pondering what was going on as I got the other sleeve on as well. And then I stood there like a fool, staring up at my ceiling as if I could find the answers to my many questions there. It was a futile effort and nothing came to mind, as Sans deftly buttoned up the shirt. When I looked down at him, I caught the worried look in his sockets before he stepped back to stare at me with false ire.

"I suppose that will suffice. A little less dusty, in any case."

I was not doing well today as I stared down at my hands, and then lower to see that the button-up was on the shorter side, since it didn’t cover all my spine. Again, I was drawn from my muddling thoughts as Sans’ magic flared to life, and this time blue magic gently took hold of my soul to bring me to my feet. It remained firm around my soul, which was a good thing, as I don’t believe I would have been able to stand on my own right now. And as much as I wanted to question my brother, I didn’t. I only went along with whatever Sans wanted to do, which currently involved leading me out of my bedroom.

Wait.

My hand reached up to trace my bare neck, and my gaze zeroed in on the back of Sans’ skull. I wasn’t wearing my collar. Why wasn’t Sans insisting that I go back and get my collar out of the mess that was my bedroom? Shouldn’t I have it on if we were going somewhere? Was it even a good idea for me to leave the house with the state I was currently in? By the time we were down the stairs and headed for the front door, I was alert enough to protest.

“we can’t go out like this. we’ll be attacked on sight.” 

“A _really_ bad one.” Sans murmured, looking very unhappy. “We’re on the surface, but it isn’t our home.” Sans increased the pressure of his blue magic around my soul when I tried to back away from the door. When I wouldn’t budge, Sans seized my closest arm, and kicked the front door down as he stomped outside with me in tow.

I had another argument in mind but I ended up stumbling instead as I stared in shock at the sight that greeted us.

The sky.

It was...we were really on the surface?

But how?

I gaped at the sky for a very long time before I took in the rest of my surroundings. A grassy field to one side and a wooded area to the other. Walking a few unsteady steps forward, I didn't even notice that Sans had let go of my arm, and soon after, released the hold on my soul. I spotted a taller patch of grass nearby, one that looked like someone had chosen to let it grow in contrast to the rest of the area around it. It was large enough for me to be completely engulfed in the grass, and wildflowers growing within it.

Sans made some kind of sound that I couldn’t fully make sense of, due to being overwhelmed by somehow being on the surface.

The tall patch of grass and flowers looked very inviting, so I promptly staggered over to it and collapsed into knee-high grass. I grasped at the same grass with my whole hand, holding tight as if expecting it to vanish any second. I rubbed my face into the grass next, reveling in the feeling against my bones. My rattling slowly came to an end as I lie limply on the grass beneath me.

Again, Sans made an unidentifiable noise. Within that grassy patch, Sans sat down alongside me. I was a bit concerned when he ended up taking my jaw in his hands and urging me up enough to hug my skull to his chest, trembling a little.

Huh.

He wasn’t normally a monster who was interested in being tactile with anyone. At least, there had been no brotherly hugs since we were practically babybones.

Sans eventually let go and stared down at me. At least, I think he had to have, considering my good socket had decided to close after my skull settled back on the grass.

“The surface.” I murmured, when nothing was said.

“Here.” Sans pressed something into one of my hands.

”hm?” I blinked my good socket open to take a look at the rolled up stick, and a lighter. The stick smelled like a drug of some kind. A familiar, medicinal one. “thought you wanted me to stop smoking?” I mumbled eventually, rolling my skull to the side to stare at Sans. “we’re really on the surface?”

”Yes, we’re on the surface.” There was some glistening magic in the corners of Sans’ sockets but he stubbornly reached up to wipe them away, as if they were a nuisance. “These are different than what you used to smoke underground.”

I took a deeper sniff of the stick. Ah. Monster drugs, specifically for pain. It seemed potent enough that it would likely cut through the soul pain caused by my magic.

Wait.

How did I know this?

I don’t think I’ve smoked this kind before.

There were many inconsistencies today, it seemed.

I lit the joint of rolled up pain reliever and took a long drag, letting the resulting smoke trail out between my teeth. The longer I smoked, the more the constant ache began to fade away, as did the pain in my damaged socket. The agony I had been in was now no longer as debilitating as before, which allowed for clearer thought. I eventually let out a very slow sigh, joint between my fangs as I rolled over onto my back. Slowly, the pain faded until it was barely noticeable. Taking the time to gather my muddled thoughts, I stared up at the sky.

My brother and I were on the surface, in a world that was not our own. Before we had ended up here, I had been terribly wounded, and had not able to access my magic. To make matters worse, Sans had been injured as well. Our time was running out when others caught wind of our weakened state, and I’d done the only thing I could in that moment. Lock us in the basement and struggle through the crippling pain to force the machine there to work. Somehow, I’d managed it when all other attempts before had failed, but success wasn’t without a price. My already cracked right eye socket took even heavier damage as the machine backfired, slamming me into a wall before the surroundings shifted.

And there we appeared, in this world.

It was lucky that we’d seen the other monsters in the area before they had seen us. Especially considering that two of them resembled us somewhat, and both I and Sans agreed it was best to keep our distance, since we both needed time to heal from our injuries. For whatever reason, I didn’t want to chance being locked up or anything of the sort. I wanted to be able to see the stars.

The house we had found was in the middle of nowhere, abandoned. Sans and I fixed it up, but soon enough we had to find food. With some searching, I was able to forge some identities for myself and my brother, as it was easy enough being monsters. I found a job to work remotely not too long after this, since none of the monster gold we’d had came along with us to this place. The money I made allowed us to make necessary purchases in the city we were nearest to, and brought it all back to this secluded place we now called home in this unfamiliar universe.

But this new world wasn’t without its drawbacks.  
  
The loneliness was ever present for the longest time as we tried to not draw attention to ourselves. Then there was the problem that had dogged Sans since we'd come here, and that was getting a job. No matter how hard he tried, there was always some excuse for why he wasn’t hired where he applied.

My memory was getting clearer.

I remembered now how brother had begun to go to a coffee shop in the city, after searching for a job. A few days later, he had come home disgruntled about a human in said coffee shop, of whom I had also seen. It was a nice change, to have something else to do other than work and worry about Sans’ mood the longer he didn’t have work to fall back on. I kept an eye on this human, who always seemed to be at this particular coffee shop, typing away on their laptop. I kept up my surveillance of the human, both in the coffee shop and out on the street, until I had ascertained that this human wasn’t a threat to me or my brother. 

Then, in a move that would have made Sans proud had he not been stewing in his own troubles, I attempted to make make further contact with the human, in a similar manner as when I'd introduced myself and my brother. I just hadn’t expected that the human would actually want to speak to me and when the human had that made me...happy.

It was a breath of fresh air to talk to someone who didn't stare at me like I was a was freak of nature or something that might hurt someone if their back was turned. The conversation had gone so much better than I ever anticipated it going. I hadn’t spoken to many humans, for obvious reasons, but I had to pretend like I did, since it had apparently been a decade since the monsters of this world had surfaced. I had been pleasantly surprised that this human had agreed to talk to me again sometime. I ought to get this human to tell me their name. I could look it up myself, sure, but it was more fun if I could get someone to tell it to me themselves.

I’d spoken to this human yesterday. It seemed like it had been longer than that, no thanks to the nightmare.

My joint was nearly gone by now, and I ate the stub before Sans could take it away from me to dispose of it himself.

“Are you feeling better?” Sans voice was still quiet, as well as oddly soothing.

Damn.

I must have had a really bad relapse for my brother to be so subdued like this.

“i’m okay, for now.” I said, equally quiet. “m’sorry.”

“You can't help when you have the nightmares.” Sans was seated next to me. “How is you socket?”

”tolerable.” I muttered, after giving it a moment’s thought.

“Don’t skip those medicinal drugs.” Sans lightly scolded. 

“can’t focus on work when i use ‘em.” I sighed as I rolled onto my side and curled my hand in the grass again. Being back in awareness allowed me to recall that Sans left this patch of grass unmowed for times when I was too far gone in my mind and needed to be pulled back. My soul squeezed uncomfortably. I hated putting my brother through this, yet at the same time, a wash of fond affection washed over me. Sans did care, in his own way.

”Ugh. Keep that kind of feeling to yourself.” Sans groaned.

"you’ll eventually find a way to approach that human, bro.” I ease the awkwardness for Sans by teasing him. "you've just gotta put some backbone into it."

Sans moved into my line of vision to glower at me before sighing.

"You’ll take them then? I don't want you to cease to function completely and relapse so far that there’s nothing for me to bring back."

“you would rather i be completely useless?” My eye light winked out. Despite the turn the conversation had taken, I felt relaxed. “broken?”

“You’re not useless, brother.” I felt Sans’ hand gently rest on top of my skull. “And you’re not broken. As you like to remind me, your computer skills far surpass my own, among other things.”

I grunted in reply. The grass felt so nice, with the breeze as an added bonus. 

“We can look into other options, and leave contacting other monsters directly as a last resort.” Sans reassured me, as I began to settle in for a nap in the grassy field. “Until then, please smoke those medicinal drugs when the pain is too much. You know that your nightmares are worse when you’re not taking anything.”

I didn’t respond. I was too far away as I drifted aimlessly on the effects of what I had already smoked.

”Papyrus? I’ll find a way to make things right. For both of us.“ Sans hand moved away from my skull. “I just need more time.”

An untold amount of clouds passed overhead as I lie there, but as soon as the effects of the drug began to pass, I felt well enough to get to my feet and slowly make my way back inside the house. 

Sans had cooked something.

“GOOD, YOU’RE UP JUST IN TIME FOR LUNCH.” Sans’ voice was back to its usual volume. “I WAS ABOUT TO HEAD OUT TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME MORE APPLICATIONS I HAD SENT IN.”

I watched as Sans set a plate of food on the coffee table, as if sensing that I was thinking of collapsing onto the couch. I half turned to watch as Sans prowled over to where his jacket was hanging.

”I WILL BE OUT MUCH LATER THAN USUAL, SO I WILL NOT BE COOKING DINNER THIS EVENING.” Sans looked at me, and despite his us scowl making a return, I could see the concern beneath it.

”i’ll be good with a little more sleep and some food.” I doubted that I could truly fall asleep but a light nap here and there would be good enough. To show my brother that I was more or less back to my usual self, I lazily sprawled onto the couch and teased him a little. “have fun getting your coffee. _grind_ those potential employers good. _bean_ meaning to tell you that."

Sans visibly bristled at me, clearly annoyed both with the chosen words and for me indirectly bringing up the human that worked in the coffee shop on their computer. I knew that Sans wouldn’t admit it aloud, since his pride wouldn’t allow it, but he was just dying to ask me how I’d managed to get the human to look at me and be okay with accepting drinks. Sans hesitated by the door, his hand on the handle.

”You are...all right now?” 

Sans’ voice going quiet motivated me enough to get up off the couch and appear behind him with a few long strides. 

There would be no shortcuts for me today.

“i am back to my normal, though with more aches than usual.” I wrapped Sans’ purple bandana around his neck. “and you’ll find something, m’lord.” I stepped back, lowering my hands after fussing with the bandana. “someone just has to see past our outward appearance to see the potential.”

“I thought I told you to stop calling me that.” Sans grumbled irritably, reaching up to adjust his bandana just so. “We’re not in our underground any longer.”

“then don’t let those stupid opinions get to you.” I  said, lightly reaching out to give the bandana a tug.

Sans pulled away from me  but looked up at me and my cracked socket.

What a worrier.

The pain would come back whether or not Sans left to go hunt down a job.

“sans.” I sighed as I shook my head, but made sure to meet my brother’s eye lights. “I don’t regret taking the hit. i didn’t dust, and here we are, not constantly having to look over our shoulders.” At the guilty look that passed Sans face, I let my voice become firm. “i can function perfectly fine with one good socket. do not keep thinking about what could have happened and focus on now.” 

“I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING.” Sans said sharply, looking away from me. “WHEN I RETURN, I EXPECT A FULL REPORT ON WHAT YOU DID TODAY, AS WELL AS IF OR WHEN THE PAIN COMES BACK.”

“sure thing, bro.”

Sans hesitated again before he huffed out something under his breath and exited the house.

The door, I noted, had already been replaced. After waiting a few minutes, to see if Sans would come back, I turned away from the door and went back to the couch. I managed to eat some of the food Sans had left me, but I wasn’t hungry. 

Sleep beckoned me.

I lie flat on the couch on my back as I rested an arm over my eye sockets. Sans had enough in his plate without adding a nightmare-prone, constantly in pain older brother into the mix. There were some things I kept to myself, such as when the pain became too much, I couldn’t even see out of my good socket. I couldn’t keep that fact hidden forever. Sans was too keen on details to not notice that I was having more trouble with every passing day. And it wasn’t just the nightmares making things worse. My own magic was giving me trouble. I would have to tell Sans about that eventually, if he hadn’t already figured it out from the magic saturated state I’d been in after this latest nightmare of mine.

“not underground.” I murmured to myself, as I turned over to bury my skull into a soft pillow. “on the surface. it's safe." I reached up to squeeze the pillow with my arms, phalanges digging into the fabric. " Not as dangerous as it was back home.”  Maybe if I repeated that to myself long enough, and had Sans hammer it into my skull by encouraging me (kicking me) out of the house, I would believe it.  And maybe, just maybe, I could feel well enough in the next couple of days to spend my free time in a certain coffee shop, in hopes of practicing my mediocre socialization skills that Sans liked to give me shit for. 

Unfortunately, I wasn't as well as I had thought. 

Sans returned home that night to find me tearing apart the living room furniture with my claws, wrapped up in the grip of a renewed agony that spread throughout my entire body. I even attempted a repeat on my own brother that he was quick to put a stop to with blue magic. I fought against being pinned down with magic around my soul, spitting savage snarls out. Neit her Sans or I slept that night, once my unstable magic had exhausted me to the point of frustrated tears and finally snapped me back into reality.

A bad week seemed to be where I was headed, if Sans transforming the living room into a soft nest of blankets and pillows while heaping an absurd amount of healing magic onto me was anything to go by.

I really couldn't keep doing this.

Sans would be better off without me, but I just knew that he would never consider abandoning me, no matter how bad things got. 

In that, I was lucky to have someone who cared. 

I had to do better.

Be better.

Maybe then I wouldn't keep hoping that Sans would dust me if I ever got to the point of being too far gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit my dudes, there was not supposed to be a lot of angst in this fic. I was not expecting this chapter to be quite so long either, what the heck, Papyrus. Both he and Sans desperately need hugs and affection, stat. This was supposed to be a cute silly fic, not feels central. (Havent noted it yet in the fic, but they've been on the surface for less than a year).
> 
> As an FYI, there isn’t ‘magically’ curing anyone by entering into relationships- everyone has to work through their own problems/heal at their own pace (aka Papyrus likely won’t ever be okay in this fic but will have more support to make it a little more bearable).
> 
> The next chapter will be up this Friday/Saturday, and back within the range of about 1500-2000 words with fluff and awkwardness of the reader interacting with the Swapfell bros. (I think this chapter may have pushed the under 50,000 word story attempt out the window).


	5. Chapter 5

Papyrus didn’t come to _Caffeine Fixation_ for an entire week.

You took notice of this because on Monday, it was only Sans who made an appearance at precisely 2pm. It seemed odd now to not see Papyrus trailing after his brother into cafe.  But then again, it wasn’t like everyone came to a coffee shop every day of the week like you tended to do. 

Even Sans didn’t always come every day of the week now.  Just...most of them, and as per usual, Sans looked like he was completely done with life and ready for his caffeine fix. At least he nodded his thanks to the barista when he received the drink, even if it was a curt motion. Sand immediately downed the drink and prowled out of the building.

You went back to your typing.

The next day went much the same, though this time, Sans remained in the coffee shop to drink his beverage.

You bit back a laugh when Sans pulled out a book from one of those monster inventories, and glowered at the contents of the poor book that he had decided to read. But then you looked a little closer at him, since Sans was seated at a table closer to you.

The monster looked...exhausted.

Now, this could have just been you making things up in your head but you did see that his sockets seemed deeper than was normal. There was a discoloring beneath the bottom of both sockets that gave off the impression of someone who hadn’t slept well for some time.

Did monsters experience insomnia?

Even after living on the surface for a decade, there was still a lot that humans didn’t seem to know about monsters, whether through simple ignorance or information not being readily available.

You decided that maybe it was a time to take a trip to the library this weekend. You made a note for yourself in your phone before going back to studying the skeleton monster.

At some point toward the end of his time at the cafe , Sans suddenly slammed his book down on the table. His skull jerked up and his eye lights zeroed in on you.

Hastily attempting to make it look like you were reaching for your phone, you waited for Sans to decide what to do.  It was almost funny to watch the monster hesitate when he stood, as if contemplating whether to not to confront you staring at him. 

Sans let out a low growl under his breath as he picked up his coffee and book before he stomped out of the cafe.

You let out a breath you hadn’t known you were holding. Maybe you should not stare so obviously at people, despite how fascinating some of their daily habits were. And maybe, just maybe, in this case, you felt a little intimidated. Because unlike Papyrus, who had been surprisingly easy to talk to, Sans...seemed a lot harder to even think about interacting with. 

Something changed, however, after being caught looking at Sans.

Even though the short skeleton monster never lingered longer than an hour in the coffee shop, he began to use that time to stare at you. At least, that was what Natalie told you. It was hard for you to tell how often Sans stared at you, because he was better at sneaking peeks than you or Papyrus were.

It became kind of a game, in a way, with each day that passed becoming higher stakes.

At least it felt like it to you, seeing as Sans moved closer and closer to your usual. But unlike Papyrus, who finally asked if you wanted to talk with him via a message on a coffee cup, Sans never said a word to you. In fact, he never actually reached your table before he would spin on his heel and leave the cafe without a backwards glance.

It was...a little weird, but you were a unnerved by those purple eye lights boring into you as Sans scowled at you.

The weekend came and went without any sign of Sans or Papyrus at the coffee shop, but you didn’t think anything of it. You had your own life to go about, even if it was monotonous and predictable to a T. You supposed that this could be why you were so fascinated with Sans and his heavy caffeine addiction.

When you arrived at _Caffeine Fixation_ the next Monday, you had settled in, preparing for a long battle against one of your characters. This particular secondary character just wouldn’t behave how you wanted them to, and it was making the rest of the current chapter you were working on a pain in the ass to get under control. Right when you got to the point of wanting to metaphorically toss your laptop across the room, the door to the cafe opened.

Sans swept into the building with sharp clicks of the heeled boots he wore, all but prowling up to the counter with a barely repressed growl, sharp teeth gnashing together. Behind him, moving at a slower pace, was Papyrus.

You watched Papyrus long enough for the monster to notice your gaze. That single eye light studied you for a moment before the socket winked at you. It made you smile as you hesitantly lifted a hand to give him a little wave. You may suck at human interaction most of the time, but not monster interaction, apparently. That single pathetic wave of yours caused Papyrus light up with a happy grin tugging at his teeth.

That was...really cute. 

You hadn’t expected to find a monster with that amount of sharp fangs cute, but you were a sucker for cute things in general, regardless of appearance. Or maybe it was just because it was Papyrus. He did seem rather non-threatening now that you had actually spoken to him, and his height and sharp teeth hadn't really bothered you before. Lots of monsters had fangs, after all.

Papyrus stared at you a moment longer before joining his brother to stare at the menu, his hands stuffed deep in his hoodies pockets. 

You continued to idly type, opting to skip to the next chapter so that you didn’t have to think about that frustrating secondary character as you watched the two monsters order their drinks. Or rather, you watched as Sans ordered drinks and some food, while Papyrus stood there silently with his hood up like it usually was when he was inside the cafe.

Today seemed a bit...different.

Off.

Papyrus slunk over to a table that furthest from the front door. The table allowed him to put his back to the wall. After a brief look in your direction, Papyrus let his face drop down into his folded arms and seemed to go to straight to sleep. 

Sans was quicker than usual to dump sugar and cream into his multiple coffees. Satisfied with the heart-stopping drinks, Sans brought all of the mugs over to the table and settled them within reach of himself and his brother. Then, after checking on Papyrus, Sans settled down on the bench and buried himself in a book.

Apparently, napping in a cafe was not concerning to Sans?

Maybe it was a monster thing.

You tried and failed to focus on your work over the next hour, finding the skeleton brothers much more interesting to watch. It seemed that way to other customers too, as they snuck furtive glances toward the monsters until Sans noticed and glowered at them. This continued on in a short cycle until Sans was apparently fed up with it, and, after leaning over and saying something to Papyrus, swept out of the cafe.

The moment that Sans was gone, you decided to do something a little outside your comfort zone. Since Papyrus had mentioned that he’d like to talk to you again, would he...would he mind if you joined him at his table? You debated how to go about asking this for at least a half-hour, in between studying the skeleton in question.

Papyrus actually rolled his skull to the side at one point, enough for his purple eye light to look in your direction, as if sensing your gaze.

You weren’t sure how to covey if he wanted company or not, but luckily, Papyrus seemed to sense what your intentions were just by you making steady eye contact with him.  Which was very awkward for you, so you stared at his broken socket, which, with a jolt, you realized was covered with a patch today. Movement drew your attention to Papyrus' skeletal hand, as he twitched his fingers in an unmistakable indication that the table was open.

That was an invitation, right?

Only one way to find out.

You gathered your laptop, power cord and coffee, before heading to the back of the cafe. It was only then that you realized that people had pulled the chairs away to other tables earlier, which meant that the only place to sit was next to the monster.

Papyrus had since tucked himself into the corner against the wall, to give you enough space that it wouldn’t seem like he was towering over you.

That was...polite of him.

You set your laptop on the table, as well as your coffee, before stooping down to look for the power outlet. As much as you loved _Caffeine Fixation_ , their power outlets were in the oddest of places, including low to the floor beneath wall booths. Case in point, this particular outlet under this table was close to where Papyrus sat. As you reached to plug the power cord in, you couldn’t help but take a closer look at Papyrus’ legs out of genuine curiosity. He wore cargo shorts today, which left the lower half of his leg bones on display. Papyrus also wore messily tied up shoes, as if he couldn't be bothered to put any effort into it. 

“see something you like?”

You sucked in a breath and jerked back, hitting your head beneath the table in the process . Soft laughter accompanied your reappearance, as you sat down on the bench and rubbed the top of your head ruefully.

“you ok?”

You turned your head to joke about being skittish and to apologize for staring at Papyrus’ legs, only to find said skeleton nearly face to face with you. With a startled intake, you scooted back even as Papyrus chuckled again.

“little bit too close? guess humans do have different concepts of personal space than monsters.”

And just like that, the floodgate of questions you’d been dying to ask a monster began to come out of you.

“Is that why monsters are okay with being closer to one another on buses and trains?” You asked curiously, as Papyrus settled back in his corner. “Is that why I’ve seen monsters apologize if they got too close to a human or bump into them? Is it just because of personal space or is there more to it? Is it bad to bump into each other? Or is it just humans who are weird about jostling someone unintentionally?" You saw Papyrus’ jaw bone quirk up, shifting his fangs into a smile.

“it has more to do with magic, but personal space does tie in to it. humans are harder for us monsters to sense if we are not looking at them or paying careful attention to the strength of their soul.” Papyrus stared at you thoughtfully, eye light flickering a little in its socket. “But most monsters enjoy being in the presence of other magic, so we tend to not leave as much distance between us as humans do.”

You wondered if you could get to the library later today. It seemed like you had a lot of catching up, especially when it came to monster magic, and none of the books you had checked out had not been of much use. Or maybe, if Papyrus was all right with it, you could keep asking him questions. He didn't seem to be off put by your sudden desire for information on monsters.

“heh.” Papyrus perked up suddenly as he tilted his head toward the front of the coffee shop.

You gave him an odd look. You hadn't said any of that aloud, had you? It wouldn't be the first time you'd spoken your thoughts aloud.

"my bro is coming back." Papyrus supplied with an amused click of his fangs.

“Oh. Do I need to leave?” You didn’t want to make Sans upset, especially after seeing him last Friday looking ready to murder some unfortunate soul. He'd actually broken a coffee mug he'd been holding it so tight, even if he had paid for it.

“nah.” Papyrus shook his skull, an oddly amused look in his eye light. “just wear your headphones and make it seem like you’re working on your laptop.”

You do just that, and in less than a minute, Sans reentered cafe. You felt the air become heavy, which made you shiver. What was that? Sans’ magic? Your fingers flew across your keyboard, even though you aren’t actually typing anything remotely readable. It was more of a keyboard smash to reflect your nervousness over the weird feeling that was in the air. You were certain you'd hear that loud, resonating voice. Instead, you heard a raised, yet less harsh, tone. 

“What Is _This_?” Sans demanded, as soon as he reached the table.

“hot cocoa.” Papyrus supplied, phalanges prodding his mug and then a bottle. "Barbecue sauce.

“That Is Not What I Meant And You Know It.” Sans hissed irritably though his fangs. “Why Is This Human Sitting Next To You?” The shorter monster’s sockets narrowed. “And Don’t Try To Say You Joined Them, With The Way You’re Tucked Up In The Corner.”

“you got me, bro.” Papyrus said easily, settling backward so that his hooded skull sagged against the wall. 

“You Talked To This Human To Have Them Sit Here With You?” Sans’ eye lights darted toward you but you kept your eyes on the computer screen.

“no, i just made eye contact and showed them that the table was open. they came over on their own.” Papyrus sounded even more amused than before.

“That Was All You Had To Do?” Sans sounded incredulous. “Humans Cannot Read Souls Like That.”

“there is body language, bro.”

“Without Indicating Your Intentions?” Sans narrowed his sockets further.

“there's something called talking." Papyrus said. "we talked ‘bout magic and public transportation, where monsters tend to keep closer to other monsters than humans.”

You didn’t know what to make of this exchange between the two brothers. While Papyrus was just telling Sans exactly what happened, you couldn't help but feel like Papyrus was bragging in a way.

Sans stared at you for an uncomfortably long time, before he went back to glowering at Papyrus.

Were you missing something here?

“start small. it’ll help.” Papyrus told Sans cryptically.

Sans glared daggers at his brother before all but marching up to the counter.

You wondered if the shorter monster was really getting a fourth coffee for the day. But to your surprise, Sans didn’t drink the coffee, or load it with sugar. Instead, he went straight back to the table you and Papyrus were seated at. You jumped involuntarily when Sans set the coffee cup none too gently on the table next to your mug. You felt Papyrus gently nudge your boot with his shoe, and you pretended to look away from what you were doing and over to Sans.

Oh wow.

Definitely worth pretending to see what was going on around you.

Was Sans  blushing? His cheek bones seemed to be dusted with a light purple tint that was nearly unnoticeable.

Before you could think of anything to say to that, Sans gave you a rather pompous, puffed up look now that he saw you had noticed him. It was as if Sans believed that you ought to consider him getting you coffee a great honor. You couldn’t resist letting out a snort of laughter at the idea, especially since Sans stood ramrod straight as he stared at you like he expected a favorable response.

Stars.

Sans wasn’t scary at all when he was acting like this. It was so much different than the usual dead or exasperated manner he usually presented.

Apparently, laughter wasn’t what Sans had been aiming for as a response. He frowned at you before he sent a dirty look his brother’s way. After letting out string of words in an odd-sounding language, he promptly left the cafe.

What the heck had that been about?

“I didn’t offend him, did I?” You asked, once Sans was out of sight. 

“no, you’re fine." Papyrus said. "That's just my brother's social cluelessness rearing its ugly head."

"Are you...sure about that?" You turned your head to find Papyrus grinning at you. 

"i'm sure." Papyrus scratched a few of his phalanges idly against the patch over his eye socket. "check the drink he got you."

You took a cautious sip from the to-go cup. To your surprise, it wasn't the kind of drink Sans would normally get. It was one of those once in awhile drinks you liked to get. You looked from the cup to Papyrus curiously, and found him staring out the cafe window with a fond look across his features.

“sans is used to people treating him as a high-ranking officer." Papyrus met your eyes, his own single light flickering. He didn't say anything for a few moments, before he continued on. "if he chooses to specifically do something for someone else, he usually expects to be thanked or praised for it. since he took time out of his day to do whatever it was and all that.”

“Wow.” You didn’t know what else to say to that. No wonder Sans had looked so haughty. Had he really expected you to thank him profusely for getting you a drink that you hadn't even asked for? You knew that you'd never gotten the chance to thank Papyrus for the drinks he had gotten you. Though this was mainly because he hadn’t given you the chance to address him until now. "That must get tiring for you."

“nah, it's cool. my bro is like that sometimes, but he’s not all bad. he's even eased up on that kinda thing this past year. think you're the first person he's specifically expected thanks from in awhile.” Papyrus sat up and rested an elbow on the table as he propped his jaw on his palm. “he only came back to check on me since i decided to take a nap. he was much more worried about finding me sitting next to a human than how a human would feel sitting next to a monster.”

"so that's where the overprotectiveness comes in?" You asked, recalling the message Papyrus had written.

"yup." 

"Is he going to come back?" 

"nah."

Well, if Sans wasn't going to come back...then maybe it would be all right for you to continue asking Papyrus questions? 

"So...can you tell me more about how monster's magic affects how they interact with others around them?" 

"sure." 

By the time you left the cafe that day, you had decided that actually talking to a monster was much better than reading a book about them that might not be accurate or was misleading. Papyrus, it turned out, was very knowledgeable, and he had a very relaxed manner that made it easier to ask him questions without feeling like you were being intrusive. The good feelings that had bubbled up inside of you from your interaction with Papyrus stuttered to a halt when you caught sight of Sans loitering outside of your apartment building. You did not like the way the short monster looked at you when his eye lights caught sight of you. Nor did you like the way Sans stalked over to you with a deep scowl as he got into your personal space. His words, however, threw you for a loop, even though Papyrus had already confirmed that Sans was overprotective.

"THERE YOU ARE." Sans growled menacingly, his fangs parting to show off how wickedly sharp each of them were. "I DEMAND TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT MY BROTHER, HUMAN, SO THAT I MAY KNOW YOUR INTENTIONS TOWARD HIM."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad you all are enjoying this. I'm thinking that this fic will end up as a once a week, Saturday update (so long as I have a chapter ready). Though, considering my draft of the next chapter, and the fact I had today off, I think I may be posting another this weekend. (I guess the word count for chapters will vary depending on how into the chapter I get while editing-but hey, there's more to read this time around too).


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a lot yesterday, so here is another chapter!  
> FYI, brief Sans pov (1st) toward the end of the chapter that snuck its way in.

You stood like a deer caught in headlights, Sans in your personal space as he glowered at you with his pointy teeth bared.

"DID YOU HEAR ME HUMAN, OR ARE YOU CHOOSING TO IGNORE ME? AS YOU DID EARLIER IN THE CAFE, APART FROM LAUGHING AT ME?"

It was getting late, and you didn't like being directly confronted like this. But you also didn't want to cause Sans or yourself any trouble, since you would not be at all surprised if some bystander decided to actually interfere. You knew that despite tolerance toward monsters, there were some individuals who would be more than happy to have a chance to throw down with a monster.

A fight in the lot of the apartment building was not something you wanted to have happen.

It would be very distressing.

You wanted fights to only happen on the pages of your novels, or in the books you read. 

Not in real life.

Brightly glowing purple eye lights suddenly got very close to you, and you jerked back, feeling what had been a puff of breath from the monster.

"ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE THIS CONVERSATION DIFFICULT, HUMAN, BECAUSE IF SO, I WILL-"

"Shhh!" You cut in hastily, drawing forth a narrowing of Sans' sockets. You were quick to explain yourself. "It's getting late, and I don't want my neighbors and anyone who might be outside to be disturbed by raised voices. Could you...could you tone it down? Or maybe leave this kind of talk for another time? When it gets late like this, humans can misinterpret loud voices." 

"If you do not want to speak outside, we could always continue this inside of your home." Sans said, as if this were a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

Wait.

Sans had the ability to speak in a normal volume?

It was a surprise, since it was nothing like the  blaring voice that you were used to hearing in the cafe. It was even different from the way Sans had pitched his voice to half its usual deafening tone, as you’d heard earlier today when he spoke to Papyrus. And then, his words clicked with you.

"I don't let strangers into my apartment." You told the monster. For whatever reason, this statement made Sans study you closely, and for long enough to make you feel rather uncomfortable.

"Would you let my brother into your home?" Sans watched you in a careful way.

"No?" You gave the skeleton monster an odd look. "Today was only the second time I’ve actually spoken to him. He seems nice, but I don’t feel comfortable letting someone I don’t really know into my home.” Not that you liked having people over to your apartment in general. It tended to upset your cats, and you would always feel tired out afterward.

"I see..." Sans frowned at your response, before he made some kind of hum of realization. "Ah, yes, I forget that humans aren't as in tune with their souls as monsters are."

"What does that have to do with anything?" You wondered.

"Everything, human." Sans crossed his arms, tapping his gloved fingers absently. "For us monsters, we can quickly find out one another’s intentions, as it is very hard to hide lies within your very soul. If there is no intention to harm, then there is no reason to not have another in one's home."

"I would love to be able to trust someone that quickly, but it doesn't work that easily for humans." You said, thinking about the creeps that sometimes approached you. "Like you said, humans aren't in tune with their souls, and some humans are very good liars."

"I do not think that most humans are amenable to souls being read by those they don't trust, so we will speak out here." Sans sighed but he didn’t press the issue of going into your home, much to your relief. A frown crossed Sans' fangs before his eye lights grew even brighter, and he stared hard at you. "What I want to know is the reason for you starting to speak with my brother. It is odd to me, since you have never spoken with him before, nor have you shown any signs of being interested in doing so."

"Well..." You didn’t think there would be any harm in telling Sans how it happened. "Your brother left a message on one of the more recent beverages he got me, asking if I wanted to talk with him." You watched the monster digest this information before speaking again.

"...then let me ask you this. Are your intentions to only demand information about monsters when you converse with him?" Sans asked, as he kept his arms crossed. The monster's sockets were narrowed to near slits. "It is suspicious to me that a human would be so interested in monster magic and monster behavior, without ulterior motives when so brazenly asking a monster so many questions." Sans' teeth bared again. "You aren't trying to gather information to pass along to anti-monster groups, are you?"

"Those groups are still around?" You asked, genuinely surprised. "I haven't seen anything on the news about them recently, so they must not be active as they have been in the past."

Sans' eye lights bored into you, demanding an actual answer.

You frowned at him, not exactly sure what he wanted you to say, so you kept quiet as you went over what Sans had said to you. And then grew very embarrassed as you realized just how your conversation with Papyrus had ended up going today.

Oh no.

You'd let it happen again.

It seemed like your interest in gathering information had gotten out of hand. Maybe you should rethink the library idea. You had been in writer mode when you'd been asking Papyrus questions. Luckily, you didn't think that it had gone as bad as the previous time you had gotten wrapped up in tracking down answers. You’d had an...interesting and rather distressing conversation with the local authorities after you had researched a variety of ways to torture and murder someone, all done for one of your novels years ago. In a terrible twist of events, your research just so happened to coincide with a brief rise in monster deaths due to a human who had gone after them. This person's searches online were remarkably similar to your own for your novel. 

"I Don't Want Any Harm To Come To My Brother." Sans said icily, his tone louder, and looking as though he was displeased with your lack of a response. "Even If Papyrus Was The One Who Initiated Speaking With You...I Don’t Want It To Continue If You’re Only Interested In Being Around Him To Gain Knowledge About Monsters, That Could Be Later Used Against Them."

"I was just curious, and your brother didn't seem to be bothered." You awkwardly tried to explain. "I tend to get excited when I learn something new, and I like to learn more about it. I do lots of research for my novels, so I wasn't thinking very clearly today. I don't...get the chance to talk to people often, since I'm usually wrapped up in my work."

"Then Desist With Your Many Questions, Unless It Is Relevant. Actually _Speak_ With My Brother." Sans turned away from you. "I Will Not Hesitate To Interfere Again If You Cause Him Any Further Distress."

"From today?" You asked, trying to think back on the conversation. Had Sans come back to the coffee shop? He must have, if he overhead the two of you talking. You frowned a little. Papyrus hadn't seemed to be uncomfortable, and you presumed that he would have said something if he wanted you to stop peppering him with questions. You'd been careful to avoid asking specific questions about souls, but...had you blundered into some kind of monster cultural thing that you had been unaware of?

Sans didn't say anything as he began to walk away.

"Why did you buy me that drink earlier?" You doubted that Sans would answer, but that was still bugging you. For someone who spent so much time avoiding you, it was odd to suddenly have Sans be by the table like that, and leaving you a drink. And apparently expecting you to thank him for it, which you would have, if it hadn't been so out of place. And now, to have Sans waiting outside of your apartment building to talk to you? Things weren't adding up, and it confused you. Had Sans just wanted to confront you about his brother? Much to your surprise, Sans actually stopped walking and glanced over his shoulder at you.

"...I saw my brother getting you drinks, before you started to talk to him." Sans eventually said, his voice quiet again. The monster said nothing more as he continued on his way.

You quietly stood in the now empty lot of your apartment building for a while, before you slowly entered the building and headed for the door to your apartment. It seemed like you had some thinking to do that night before you went to sleep.

-x-x-x-

Two days later...

-x-x-x-

Papyrus was in _Caffeine Fixation_ today with his laptop.

You weren’t sure if you should approach him or not, especially after Sans threw you a seething look before he stomped out of the cafe with his death-inducing caffeinated beverage. You had work to do as well, but figured that you'd like to, at the very least, offer an apology to Papyrus? 

Sans had made it seem like it wasn’t very polite to grill his brother as a convenient source of information. 

Papyrus had said he’d wanted to talk to you, and you'd let your curiously get the best of you. Maybe you should let him lead a conversation, if he still wanted to talk to you?  Papyrus hadn’t seemed offended by your interest in monsters and magic, but Sans confronting you directly made you rethink that. 

You dithered like a fool next to an empty table two away from Papyrus. Words didn’t come to you as easily as they did on the computer. Especially not when your mind was overthinking every little thing that could possibly go wrong and whether or not you’d offended a monster without realizing it.  People were starting to look at you, including Natalie, who appeared a little worried for you. 

So much for not making yourself act like an idiot.

But when Papyrus looked up and saw you awkwardly standing there, he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, Papyrus just smiled at you and waved a hand at his table, before his eye socket closed.

You quickly sat down on the chair across from him, feeling weirdly self-conscious before finally just deciding to get it out and see what happened.

"Um...I feel like I should apologize, for yesterday. I hope that I didn't bother you with all of those questions." You stared down at the table, before looking at Papyrus. "Sorry if it was too much. I can get excited and go off on tangents without thinking things through."

Papyrus’ socket blinked open, his eye light focusing on you briefly before it flicked over to the cafe window. Papyrus' socket appeared to squint at something before he let out a light sigh and turned his attention back to you.

"s'fine."

"I still feel bad for taking over the conversation yesterday." It was hard to tell if the lazy response meant you really hadn't been a bother, or if Papyrus was just being polite. "I just feel like that wasn't the kind of chat you were expecting to have?"

Papyrus studied you for a moment, in a way that was remarkably similar to Sans, as if he were trying to see something you couldn't. Whatever Papyrus saw seemed to be enough for him, since the monster relaxed on the bench, the mischievous smile making a return. 

"i guess you could say that yesterday was...a skele- _ton_ of work."

As soon as the statement sunk it, you immediately let out a laugh.

"never have i ever had to speak so much in one day." Papyrus lamented, placing a hand over his sternum. "i was bone tired, but my brother wanted me to put some backbone into my chores last night." Papyrus saw your shaking shoulders and continued on, socket scrunching up. "i did _relish_ the chance to let him know that i was not going to _ketchup_ on them. and when he tried to get me to do them, i told him that i couldn't _mustard_ up the energy."

You didn't say anything because you had started to giggle maniacally.

Puns.

"but sans didn't _lettuce_ skip out on the chores."

You loved puns.

"knock knock."

Oh no.

Knock knock jokes too? 

What had you unwittingly unleashed by laughing at those terrible puns?

"Who's there?" You asked, playing along as you watched Papyrus' eye light brighten.

"been."

"been who?"

"been wanting to talk to you again." Papyrus finished with a lazy smile as he winked his socket at you.

That was terrible.

Absolutely terrible.

You liked that it was so bad, and did nothing whatsoever to dissuade Papyrus from offering more of them. At one point, you could have sworn that you heard a grinding sound, much like Sans' fangs made, but when you looked around, there was nothing there.

There were no questions asked about monsters that day. There was only an alarming amount of puns and jokes mixed in with regular small talk.

It was...a nice change from yesterday.

Both you and Papyrus were much more relaxed.

-x-x-x-

I sat at a table on the opposite side of the cafe to watch my brother interact with the human. It grated on my nerves to hear those horrid puns, but it did make me feel relieved in a way, that Papyrus was feeling comfortable enough to do so. But I didn't trust the human to not have ulterior motives, even if I had yet to figure them out. At least I did not hear any more questions about monsters. I hadn't even expected the human to ask Papyrus about the previous day.

He had seen me outside the cafe today. We had made eye contact, but when he looked away, I knew that my brother wasn't going to confront me on speaking to the human two nights ago.

Yet.

No, Papyrus would wait for a better opportunity. Likely when my guard was down.

It mattered not to me.

I felt justified in confronting the human, as well as taking a place in the cafe to eavesdrop. My brother hadn't yet noticed my presence, as he was too busy cracking those puns and jokes. The happiness I could sense humming within Papyrus' soul was palpable compared to yesterday, when my brother refused to come out of his bedroom after another nightmare. It hadn't been so bad that he had relapsed into believing we were back underground, but it had left Papyrus in a bad mood and in pain as he smoked his medicinal drugs.

The human laughed at something my brother said, and I swiftly downed my two coffees. The rush of caffeine and sugar flowed over me, the feeling barely reaching my soul. I crushed the to-go cups one by one in my hand, and as I had gone without gloves today, I could really dig my claws into the paper. My teeth involuntarily bared wide as I studied the human mistrustfully.

I didn't interfere today.

My brother's happiness meant much more to me than most monsters and humans would believe from my outward manner and general actions toward him. I hadn't seen Papyrus this engaged and relaxed since we had come to this alternate universe that was not our own. Rather, I hadn't seen him in such a good mood in years, which wasn't so surprising, considering the world we came from. I left my brother to entertain the human with those stupid puns while I decided to go on the arduous task of job hunting.

It did not go well, as there had been something of a misunderstanding when I entered a prospective work place. It was not my intention to start a scene, but start it I did. Before it escalated too far, Papyrus made an appearance. I had not realized that my brother had chosen to tail me and leave the human behind, but I certainly sensed his disapproval when he used a shortcut to bring us both back to our house. 

"i thought we agreed to not draw attention to ourselves?"

I looked away, knowing this to be true. 

Papyrus collapsing onto the couch drew my attention, and an uneasy fluttering took hold of my soul as I approached my brother. I let out a slow sigh, and unfolded the blanket on the back of the couch to cover my brother with. 

"If using your short cuts is too much for your magic right now, don't use them." I told Papyrus firmly as I smoothed out the blanket. I knew he wouldn't hear me, seeing as he was already fast asleep, despite the excess magic leaking out of his damaged eye socket. Locating a washcloth, I cleaned the magic up, and covered the broken socket with a patch, after imbuing it with my healing magic. I liked to think that Papyrus rested a little easier with the healing magic, as I picked up a pillow and carefully maneuvered it beneath his skull.

Satisfied that Papyrus was as comfortable as he could be, I headed for my room. There would be no rest for me this day either. I had to continue my search for a job, and continue to ignore the posts for the monster royal guard reserve, no matter how much I longed to have some sort of normalcy in my life.

But nothing was normal about our situation.

We had to be careful.

My brother and I had secrets that we needed to keep.

I could only hope that this secrecy extended to Papyrus' talks with the human that he had taken an interest in at _Caffeine Fixation_. Perhaps I needed to keep a closer eye on this human, just to be certain that there really were no ill intentions. But I also intended to make sure that my brother and I's secrets remained just that.

A secret.

It would not do to let some very particular monsters know of my and Papyrus' existence in this world. I doubted anything good would come of it, and I intended to keep my brother free to do whatever he wanted on the surface. 

Papyrus deserved some peace and quiet after everything we had gone through in our underground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I laughed when I checked the comments this morning and saw that short back and forth rp-Sans, Papyrus and the reader are not quite on easy speaking terms like that yet but it was amusing to read nonetheless). It does make me wonder again if I should make a tumblr so you all can yell stuff at me like that.  
> Edit, I made one: absent-enigma  
> It’s pretty bare bones but I’m getting the urge to doodle things (and I figured it was a good way to inform if there are ever any update delays or breaks being taken, for this fic or others).  
> Oh, and Sans totally does flex in front of a mirror, and Papyrus has recorded him without his knowledge, because look how cool his bro is. 
> 
> Also, at the end of the previous chapter, Sans was basically just trying to strike up a conversation with the reader via a drink, because he had seen all of the drinks Papyrus had given the reader. So in Sans' mind, drinks equal speaking to the human. Sans was not aware of the message Papyrus wrote on one of the cups that started the initial chat, so Sans decided to do things his own way to get the answers he wanted. There's still a ways to go before any of the romance stuff kicks in, but Sans will totally have another 'chat' with the reader when that does happen, along with him being oblivious to his own feelings.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I had a really fun time writing these past three days (and had the editing actually go well?!), so here's one more chapter before next weekend.

"So, y/n, how is it going with Papyrus?" 

You glanced up from your laptop to give you friend a confused look while your mind switched from writing mode into people interaction mode.

"Huh?"

Nailed it.

Perfect communication.

"Huh." Natalie agreed with a smile as she sat down on the chair across from you. 

"It's fine?" You thought over your chats with Papyrus. "We've only talked a few times. Why?" You said, not sure where your friend was going with this.

"No reason in particular, but it is nice to see you interacting with other people. Because, you know, it felt like I was the only person you talked to apart from your work-related calls." Natalie said. 

"I guess I don't talk to that many people...but monsters seem easier to talk to than humans." You said, saving your work. "It isn't that big a deal, is it? You know that I still keep my introverted butt inside my apartment with my cats, outside of necessary errands and coming here." 

"I figured as much by the way you send me those pics of your cats at different times of the day." Natalie took a sip of her drink. "I particularly like the one from this morning. Of Tally cuddled up in a pile of towels that Sashay pulled out of your open closet."

"That was a pretty cute thing to see this morning." You said, reaching for your own drink, though you nearly knocked it over when the door to the cafe slammed open.

"Ah, here comes Mr. I'll Sleep When I'm Dust." Natalie said as she watched the way Sans swept inside. Natalie bit back a laugh when, after Sans had ordered his drink, his eye lights narrowed at you. 

You actively avoided his icy glare as you drank your coffee.

Sans fixed up his coffee up as he liked it before the monster exited the shop as loudly as he had entered.

"Damn." Natalie whistled before looking back to you. "Did you do something to piss him off? I've never actually seen him make eye contact with you before."

"Uh...well..." You waffle for a moment before setting your drink back down. "I don't think that he is very happy that I'm talking to his brother?"

"And how do you figure that?" Natalie wondered.

"He...was waiting for me outside my apartment building the other night and told me?" 

"That's...how did he even know where you lived?" Natalie frowned.

"I don't know? Maybe he followed me there before?" You don't recall seeing anyone, but maybe monsters were better at keeping quiet? That was...rather concerning.

"He didn't threaten you, did he?" Natalie looked unhappy now over the idea of you being menaced by a monster.

"Kind of?" You hedged. "But it was more that he didn't want me to keep talking to his brother if I was just gonna grill him with monster related topics?" You stared at your cup. "He wanted me to actually _talk_ to Papyrus, not question him?"

It seemed to you like Natalie was going to push the issue, but then she suddenly looked past you, and smiled. 

"Nat?" You asked, confused by her sudden dropping of a topic as she gathered up her phone and drink.

"Break's over. Talk to me later about your stalker." Natalie stood up. "Your monster friend is here."

You watched Natalie walk into the back of the cafe, before your vision was obscured by a familiar jacket as Papyrus plopped himself into your friend's vacated chair.

"hey." Papyrus' voice was sleepy, as if he had just dragged himself out of bed at 2:15 in the afternoon. Papyrus even pillowed his skull on his arms as he rolled his head to stare at you with a hazy eye light.

"Hi." You said. "bone tired today?"

Papyrus cracked a smile with his fangs before dropping his face into his arms, hood obscuring his skull as he let out a 'mhm' of agreement.

Apparently, your company today was to be a napping skeleton monster.

You were perfectly fine with this, as you got back to typing.

-x-x-x-

The next time Papyrus was in the cafe, you decided that perhaps it was good for the two of you to be left to your own devices. From your table, you could see that his  fluffy hood was tugged a little further down over his skull than usual. With the lighting in the cafe, you could just barely make out that Papyrus' face was shifting into various expressions of irritation and oddly enough, disgust. Since he had made no indication for you to join him, you looked away, and focused on your own work. 

The deadline was drawing nearer.

The awkward silence went on like this for another week, before Papyrus began to sit at your table with you more frequency. You were quick to realize during these times that Papyrus preferred facing the front of the cafe, so you had begun to leave that seat open.

There was no conversation the first time he joined you, or the second, but that was fine. You really needed to focus on putting in the finishing touches to complete your novel, before the editing process began. 

-x-x-x-

You didn’t exactly know where your chats with Papyrus were going, but they weren't as awkward as they had first been. When you weren't sure what Papyrus had been up to by leaving drinks for you without saying anything. You'd even begun to look forward to the conversations, especially now that you and Papyrus seemed to be more comfortable in one another's presence. You'd even attempted to join in on telling bad puns and jokes, though Papyrus was quick to respond with even worse ones that never failed to make you crack up. 

It was nice to make a new friend, as Natalie had pointed out a few weeks ago.

The only problem with speaking to Papyrus more often was Sans.

You were a starting to become a little paranoid with Sans' behavior toward you. No longer did he hide his obvious staring, nor did he seem in any way apologetic over nearly breathing down your neck at times when you left _Caffeine Fixation_.

But why?

Why was Sans doing that?

It wasn't like you had gone asking any specific monster related questions since that first time you had. So, was there something else that you had done to make Sans so unhappy with your presence around Papyrus? Because Sans sure seemed to loathe you for spending so much time with his brother in the coffee shop. Hell, Sans even glowered when neither you or Papyrus were even talking to one another. 

A few days ago, you had even caught Sans  glaring at the pair of you with narrowed eye sockets. The monster's sharp teeth had been grinding together, as though Sans longed to snap out whatever was on his mind.  One of these times, Sans had even bared his fangs wide when Papyrus happened to look over at him.

Papyrus seemed completely unfazed by his brother's actions, whether it be the constant bristling or occasional, audible growls.

Thankfully, despite this unfriendly display, Sans did not corner you again outside of your apartment building. 

Unfortunately, Sans did increase his stalking.

But you didn't notice this right away.

It had started out so subtlety, you wouldn't have even noticed. But you just so happened to hear rumors in the coffee shop of a monster lurking outside the area surrounding _Caffeine Fixation_. That was when you decided that you had to be even more aware of your surroundings than before, and with this increased awareness, you had begun to catch occasional glimpse of the monster that had been lurking.

Sans. 

Sometimes you were able to see purple lights from out of the corner of your eyes, but when you looked, they would almost always be gone, as if nothing had been there. Other times, Sans would see you catch sight of him, but he would act as though he wasn't watching you. Occasionally, Sans retained eye contact with you as he stared with frightening intensity.

You’d always been quick to make haste to your apartment whenever that last expression was fixed on you.  It was just so creepy to see in the near-darkness, with only a few street-lights around.

-x-x-x-

You slammed your apartment door shut behind you, scaring Tally away from the door as his tail bushed out. You didn't notice as you were quick to lock the door, and then go around to make sure your windows were locked too.

That was it.

You had hoped that Sans would grow bored of following you, but tonight had been the last straw. You were going to tell Papyrus, like you should have when you first noticed Sans tailing you. Maybe Papyrus could convince him to stop? At the very least someone would know about Sans' stalking, apart from Natalie, who thought you ought to call the monster guard on him. 

Tonight had been the worst encounter with Sans yet, with the monster not even bothering to try and stalk you unseen. He had walked right after you, so close that you could hear his fangs grinding together up close and personal. You had not been at all ashamed to break into a sprint, Sans' shouting spurring you on to go even faster. The monster had been loudly griping about something along the lines of not running away like a coward and turning around to face him. 

Nighttime plus sudden loud blaring voice and creepy glowing eyes in the dark equaled a panicked response.

You barely noticed the way that Sans' voice cut out abruptly after a loud, indignant gasp, followed by sudden silence outside of your apartment.

-x-x-x-

After a terrible night's rest, you seriously  considered not going into to the cafe at all that day. But you decided that you weren't going to let Sans or anyone else dictate when you went somewhere. You went to the coffee shop at your usual time, later morning, and set up at your normal table, feeling better about the place being slightly more crowded than usual.  2pm came and went, which made you wonder if this was going to be a day the skeleton brothers skipped coming in.

At 3pm, Sans entered  _Caffeine Fixation_.

You almost didn't notice, because the monster had opened the door like a normal person, instead of slamming it open violently as he ordinarily would.

Sans wore an irate scowl, his sockets darker and making it appear as though he had not slept at all. Papyrus came into the building next, his hood actually down for once and wearing a very similar expression as his brother. When Sans reached the counter, his voice was quieter than it usually was as he ordered his beverage.

That was...different.

You frowned when you saw Sans take a pen that Papyrus offered to him.

Sans glared at the cup and bared his teeth while grumbling something. But with whatever look Papyrus sent him, Sans quieted and began to write on the outside of the cup with harsh strokes of the pen. 

Okay...?

What exactly was going on?

Sans handed the pen back to Papyrus once he finished writing.

The taller monster crossed his arms.

Sans woodenly turned away and walked over to your table in a way that made it seem like he was in some kind of pain.  The monster glanced back at his brother, and this time, you saw the way Papyrus' scowl deepened.  Sans looked away as he huffed out a short breath before set the cup down on your table. His eye lights studied your face for a moment before he averted them. Sans left the cafe in the most subdued manner you’d ever seen him display, not even slamming the door like he usually did when leaving.

Papyrus watched his brother go, his eye socket narrowed. Apparently satisfied, Papyrus slowly walked over and slid into the chair across from you, his scowl replaced by an eerily blank expression as his eye light winked out. 

It was like he was deep in his mind.

You took a quick look at the cup Sans had left you, finding the message that he had written in all caps.

_ 'MY BROTHER HAS INFORMED ME THAT HUMANS _

_ DO NOT HAVE GOOD NIGHT VISION. _

_ I AM TO APOLOGIZE FOR FOLLOWING YOU, _

_ SO CONSIDER THIS MY APOLOGY. _

_ BUT I DO NOT REGRET LOOKING OUT FOR MY BROTHER, _

_ EVEN IF HE DISAGREES WITH MY METHODS.' _

Sans was...weird.

Was that even an actual apology?

"Are you...all right?" You decided to ask Papyrus, when his eye socket continued to be empty and pitch-black.

"mm?" Papyrus seemed to come back to the present, his eye light flickering into existence. "i should be asking you that."

"I'm okay?" You ventured. "You brother didn't do anything other than give me a few unexpected scares."

"he shouldn't have been following you around in the first place." Papyrus sighed, rubbing his phalanges against his skull. "sans has to stop trying to drive you off like that."

"Does he still not like that I'm talking to you?"

"something like that." Papyrus rolled his shoulder in a shrug. "not that it’s any of his business who i talk to." The monster shook his head. "should've found a way for you to let me know that he was doing that."

"Do you think Sans might keep shadowing me?"

"not for a few weeks, at least." Papyrus dropped his fingers away from his skull. "my brother doesn't give up that easily, even if i did tell him to stop." 

"Well..." A simple solution suddenly came to mind. It wouldn't be weird to give Papyrus your phone number now, right? Since the two of you had been getting to know one another and all. With a sneaky smile that had Papyrus raising a brow bone, you continued to speak. "If Sans does decide to stalk me again, then I might as well give you my number. And if we happen to talk more because of that, then I guess your brother will just have to deal with that, right?"

"why didn't i think of that?" Papyrus asked after a moment of silence. His sharp teeth reflected a sly grin as he handed his phone over to you. "i always have the damn thing anyway, so it isn't like sans would realize i'm talking to you."

You entered your number in and passed the phone back.

Papyrus appeared to be in a much better mood than when he had first entered the coffee shop. So happy, in fact, that he proceeded to mercilessly tease you with a series of horrid jokes and puns that had you laughing so hard you cried.

-x-x-x-

Later that evening, as you ate dinner and automatically prevented Tally from sticking a paw in your bowl, your phone buzzed. You shooed your cat’s paw away from your food for the umpteenth time and checked your phone. There was a new message.

Unknown number:  _ hey _

You:  _ Papyrus _ ?

Unknown number:  _ yup _

You added the number to your contacts and entered in his name. 

Papyrus:  _ my bro is already wonderin’ who i’m texting. _

Papyrus: _ prob senses my soul or something being outta the  _ _ordinary_

You:  _ Are you going to tell him? _

Papyrus:  _ nah, he can wonder all he wants. _

Papyrus _ : doin’ anything exciting tonight? _

You:  _ Not really. Just dinner and going to sleep. _

Papyrus: _sounds like my kind of night._

You _: Lazy and comfortable?_

Papyrus: _yup_

Papyrus: _got to go_

Papyrus _: sans is_ _nagging me about my socks again_

You: _who nags someone about their clothing?_

Papyrus: _hang on_ _one sec_

You lifted your bowl out of sneaky feline reach, a little puzzled.  Your phone buzzed again. 

It was a photo this time. 

Half of the image was a close up of Papyrus' face. The other half of the photo showed Sans in the background, his fangs parted as if in mid-tirade, as he pointed down to a pile of socks on the floor. 

Another two messages followed the photo.

Papyrus _ : i'm going for a record of 16 socks  _

Papyrus: _before sans j_ _ust throws them_ _onto me_ _while i'm asleep_

You stared at the text for a moment, your lips twitching up into a smile. You took another look at the photo, this time noticing the almost smug scrunch of Papyrus' socket and the curve of his fangs. You started to laugh, your food forgotten. It was stolen by the opportunistic Tally as your phone buzzed again.

Papyrus: _s ee you tomorrow? _

You:  _ sure, I’m planning to be at the coffee shop again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Papyrus followed Sans that last time and basically scooped him up and used a short cut so that Sans didn't disturb the neighbors (and the reader) any more that night. This was followed by an argument at their house that ended in Sans stewing in the kitchen and Papyrus stress-smoking his medicinal monster drugs (which was why they are both irritable and tired when Sans goes into the coffee shop to offer an 'apology'). 
> 
> This chapter was supposed to be kind of a transitional chapter, otherwise I'd go on and on with awkward interactions for longer than I had intended. I'd like to get to the romance part of this fic, but I didn't want it to feel too rushed. Not that this fic is exactly meant to be realistic, as it was supposed to be more of a just for fun kind of a deal with (eventual now, I guess) fluff.


	8. Chapter 8

Your days began to pass by in a blur, which was always something that happened when you were headed for an upcoming deadline. And because of this, you were beginning to get really frustrated with a few parts of your novel. Today in particular was the absolute worst, and not just because of your looming date with your editor.

You’d discovered a glaring plot hole, and you wanted to scream, as it meant that you’d have to fine comb the whole damn story again. No one had spotted it when drafts had been first read, and you hadn’t noticed it either. But since you were in _Caffeine Fixation_ , screaming out your anger would not be appropriate, and you didn’t really want to disturb Papyrus from his impromptu nap. You took a quick glance to your right to see said monster with his skull buried in his arms, half sprawled over the table.

Nope.

No screaming over fictional characters suddenly getting a mind of their own and disrupting the plot of your novel.

And yet...

You were still solely tempted to smack your screen because your main character was being difficult. Papyrus’ soft chuckling from alongside you made you glance up again.You would let your character live, for now.

“having problems?” The monster drowsily asked, lifting his skull up.

“One of my characters just isn’t cooperating, and because of that, I’m going to have to rework several sections of the novel.” You let out a slow sigh as you reached for your coffee.“I’ll just have to leave it alone for now, I guess. Look at it later.”

“you a writer?” Papyrus’ skull sagged back down, cushioned by his arms.

“Yeah?” Had you never mentioned that before? Quite possibly, since it took you almost two months to realize, with quite a lot of embarrassment, that you'd never told Papyrus your name. You moodily drink some of your coffee as your gaze flicked over the screen. Papyrus had teased you relentlessly for it before mentioning that he'd overhead Natalie say your name.

"y/n?" 

"Hm?" You looked away from the screen to focus on Papyrus. "What was that?"

"you're writing a story?" Papyrus prompted, his fangs crooking into that amused smile of his.

“Oh, right. Yes, I'm working on a series. This will be the fourth book, and usually I’m much better at getting into this character’s head." You groaned over all the work you had ahead of you. "Revision is taking longer than I thought. And then there’s the plot hole I just found...”

“so you’re gonna take a break from working on it?” Papyrus asked, single eye light watching you.

“I should take a break from this particular scene, at least, and go back through some of the earlier chapters.” You said, quieting for a moment as a thought crossed your mind. “If you’re not going to go right back to napping...do you want to read some of it and see if anything jumps out at you?” Usually only Natalie was privy to unpublished scenes from your book, along with those who read the drafts to give you feedback.

“sure.” Papyrus sat up, stretching his arms out before he lazily scooted closer to you. Since the chairs from the table had been moved again, you soon had Papyrus sitting very close next to you as he leaned over the screen. “been awhile since i read somethin’ not to do with science or kid books.”

Kid books?

You liked to go to the children’s section and see what was new from when you were a kid. Nothing wrong with reading different age groups. Sometimes that could help get ideas formed and later acted on. You positioned the laptop screen so that Papyrus didn’t have to crane his skull down. You scrolled up to what you believed would be a good starting spot, and let the monster have at it.

Papyrus read silently, eye light flickering in its socket.

You weren’t sure what to make of the fact that you stared at Papyrus while he in turn stared at your computer screen. But as soon as you caught sight of his jaw twitching into that small grin, you hastily looked down at your hands instead.

Papyrus chuckled softly as he rested his left hand on the table while using his right to scroll down the document now and again.

You definitely didn’t check out Papyrus' hand during this time.

You didn’t.  


Well...

Maybe just a little bit, because you were rather curious about the difference between your hand and Papyrus', especially the way the bones of his fingers looked to be held together with nothing. You wanted to reach out and touch it, but knew that that would be impolite to just randomly seize someone's hand. But since Papyrus' hand was only a couple of inches away from your own, it within your line of sight to stare at it.

“somethin’ wrong with my hand?” Papyrus drawled, making you damn well know that he caught you looking a little too closely. "wanna hold my hand or somethin'?"

You mimicked what your monster friend did to avoid a question, and buried your face into your arms onto the table, letting out a sigh. It also had the added benefit of hiding your blush over Papyrus so nonchalantly asking if you wanted to hold his hand. Maybe monsters were more open to being affectionate in platonic ways with their friends? Humans could learn a thing or two from monsters about that.

Papyrus lightly patted your shoulder  before he lapsed back into silence. The monster had presumably went back to reading about your main character, whom you had decided was still an unpredictable little bastard that wouldn’t act as you hoped he would in the story.

And that damn plot hole.

You couldn't believe you'd missed that. 

It wasn’t until you got home later that evening that it clicked that Papyrus had briefly clasped your shoulder over being caught curiously ogling his hand of all things. Surprisingly, the touch didn’t bother you, since it had left as soon as it had happened, as if Papyrus had realized what he had done and wasn’t sure how you’d take it.

Since monsters had different feelings on personal space, perhaps that carried over to those they considered friends? Papyrus did seem more relaxed sitting so closely to you, more than he had before, and you were fine with it as well. It had been nearly half a year since you'd first met Papyrus and Sans. Cud dling Tally on an armchair, you decided that you hadn’t minded the sympathetic pat. The tail end of that thought was that you hadn’t expected Papyrus’ hand to be warm. Considering you’d been wearing a sweater for the end of autumn, you shouldn’t have been able to feel anything other than the brief touch.

-x-x-x-

This was your least favorite time of the year. 

The final weeks, as you liked to jokingly call them.

It was a time where you stayed home to really fine tune and finish up with your novel, which meant that you didn’t leave the house apart from going on walks or a grocery run for yourself and your cats. This also meant that the only coffee you drank was brewed at home. And since this was the first time in awhile that you’d made friends with someone apart from Natalie, you’d given Papyrus a head’s up about your absence from the coffee shop.  It was nice that he, much like Natalie, instantly understood the need to be alone. And during your self-imposed isolation, you’d occasionally exchange texts or phone calls with Papyrus.

One such phone call happened late in the afternoon, when neither of you had been able to sleep the night before. The topic of your current solitude happened to come up.

“ _that sounds like a dream come true, staying in your pajamas and staying at home. i can only imagine a whole month free of nagging._ ” Papyrus said with a wistful sigh.

“I thought you said you cared about your brother. What ever would he do if he had to fend for himself for a whole month?” You wondered, petting Tally absently.

“ _he wouldn’t. sans would just come find wherever i holed up and drag me back home_.” Papyrus laughed.

“I take it this has happened before?” You couldn’t help but picture the smaller skeleton dragging Papyrus’ larger frame along a sidewalk.

“ _yup. was a bad time but he wouldn’t let me suffer in silence.”_ Papyrus sounded wistful.

“Sans sounds like he’s a good brother, even if he’s kind of scary with the way he watches me in the coffee shop.” You hadn’t missed the looks you’d continued to get from Sans, even if he had stopped following you home, as far as you could tell.

_ “he can be a little loud, but he is basically all bark and no bite. sans just doesn’t know how to act around humans and he’s been confused over us talking.”  _ Papyrus’ voice was amused again _. _

“I would hope he would not bite. I wouldn’t want to get bitten by those fangs.” You did not want to find out how much damage Sans' teeth could do.

_“eh, he wouldn’t hurt you like that.he’d actually have to get close enough to you for biting to be effective, and sans is definitely too awkward to do that. plus, as gruff as he is, sans wouldn’t actually go around hurting anyone_.” Papyrus said, sounding very confident of this.

A loud voice interrupted the conversation.

“ _YOU STUPID MONGREL_!” Sans bellowed. He must have been close enough to Papyrus for you to so clearly hear the other monster. “ _NOT ONLY HAVE YOU NOT DRAGGED YOUR SORRY COCCYX OUT OF BED, YOU HAVE YET TO EAT AND DEAL WITH YOUR LAUNDRY. THE SOCKS HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF HAND AND I DEMAND THAT YOU_ -“

You were a little confused over why Sans stopped speaking until his voice quieted, as if only trying to speak to his brother and failing.

“ _You Do Not Talk Over The Phone. You Insist On Texting Everything These Days_.”

“ _don’t worry about it, m’lord_.” Papyrus mumbled. “‘ _m getting up_.”

Why were they calling each other those names? They didn’t even seem to have noticed.

“ _YOU ARE NOT GETTING UP. YOU ONLY PUT ONE LEG OVER THE SIDE OF THE BED_.”

“ _wanna give me a leg up?_ ” Papyrus drawled.

“ _YOU ARE PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF SITTING UP AND STANDING ON YOUR OWN TWO FEET_.”

“ _it’s no use bro. my bed is the problem_.” Papyrus has to have been grinning. “ _i would have gotten a good lie in, but it hasn’t been made yet_.”

“ _THAT_...” Sans spluttered. “ _THAT WAS UTTERLY TERRIBLE. YOU CONTINUE TO LOSE YOUR TOUCH, BROTHER. IT IS CLEAR THAT YOU NEED A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP AND ACTUAL FOOD.”_

You found yourself laughing over the back and forth between the skeleton brothers until something Sans had said clicked.

“I just realized that I haven’t eaten anything today either.” You muttered, half to yourself and half to Papyrus on the other end of the line.

“ _guess it’s good my bro reminded us then_.” Papyrus said dryly.

“ _ARE YOU TALKING TO THAT HUMAN FROM THE CAFE_?” Sans suddenly asked, his voice even closer. “ _HOW DID YOU GET THEIR NUMBER? YOU DIDN’T_ -“ Sans let out an indignant squawk. “ _UNHAND ME AT ONCE_!”

_“talk to you later_?” Papyrus asked, sounded like he was distracted with keeping his brother away from his phone.

“I’ll be here.”

-x-x-x-

_Finally._

Finally, at the end of November, and with a snowstorm on its way, you finished your novel. This meant that you could take a well-deserved break from your computer screen.

For a little while, anyway. 

After spending some time with your cats, and watching a weather report, you decided that you ought to get groceries, just in case the storm was as bad as the reporter was making it seem. You also decided that you deserved a treat for finishing the fourth novel in your series. It was getting later in the evening and if you wanted to get to the store and back before it got to be too late, you had to leave soon. It was never fun getting caught in a snow storm, and especially not one that was expecting to become a blizzard.

Fun times.

Sarcasm fully intended.

With a light sigh, you dig through your closet for something to wear outdoors before deciding that your sweater and sweatpants would do. After feeding Tally and Sashay their dinner, you pulled on your boots, and scarf. You spent an embarrassing amount of time looking for your gloves, until you found them tucked into one of the cat beds.

Tally’s doing, most likely. The silly goof loved to steal your belongings and cuddle up with them in his cat bed.

Brushing off excess cat fur, you carried your gloves over to your door, and, picking up your keys, you were off.

The walk to the bus stop wasn’t overly chilly, and you were thankful that the bus was decently warm, since you may regret not wearing your winter coat. By the time you arrived at the grocery store, you somewhat regretted your decision to get food that evening. I t was much colder than you had anticipated but the idea of being stuck eating ramen as a blizzard trapped you indoors was not appealing.

Nor did you want to run out of cat food.

Focus.

You were going to go through your set route through the grocery store, and make sure you didn’t over buy, since you had to walk the groceries home from the bus stop, including cat food. Using a cart, you methodically picked the groceries that you could use to make leftovers with after an initial meal. The shopping took less time than usual, likely due to the fact that you were getting jittery over the approaching storm.

One last item.

A bottle of coconut oil and then you could get out of there.

You stop your cart in the middle of an aisle and turned to glare up at the top shelf. Of course you would have to be just a few inches too short to reach it. Letting out an annoyed huff, you placed your foot on lowest shelf and reached up to grab the coconut oil.

Success!

It didn’t matter that you were perched a little precariously until you went to hop backwards off the lower shelf. Overcompensating where and how your feet would hit the floor, you end up stumbling backward into someone as you let out a curse.

Whoops.

“been awhile since i saw a human fall.” A familiar voice commented, before proceeding to joke. “unless you’re falling for me?”

Skeletal hands steadied you before they dropped away.Shaking your head at Papyrus’ words you turned around to face him.

“Out for some fresh air before the storm hits?” You question as you reached over and carefully put the jar in your cart.

“a storm?” Papyrus’ teeth snapped together as his skull tilted to the side. “huh, i didn’t notice. guess i should go home and make sure the windows are closed.”

“I can’t imagine leaving my windows open in this temperature, even if I didn’t have cats to worry about.” You shiver just thinking about all that cold air potentially getting into your apartment more than it already did.

“the weather doesn’t effect me or my bro as much as it does other monsters and humans.” Papyrus said, pulling his phone out of his pocket, before sighing and putting it away.

“...is everything okay?” You ventured.

“s’fine.” Papyrus stuffed his hands into his pockets and offered a half-shrug. “i’m just giving sans some space. he was upset earlier over an interview. think it went badly but he wouldn’t say.” Papyrus’ hands pressed deeper into his pockets. “guess i did leave to get some fresh air. my bro’s magic can sometimes make the air feel heavy when he’s in this kind of a mood.”

“It’s so weird that no one will hire him." You said, pushing the cart out of the aisle. "From what you said before, Sans has a very good work ethic. I would think that people would appreciate that."

“skeleton.” Papyrus said simply with an unhappy dimming of his eye light.

“That is such bullshit.” You gripe, waving your hands irritably. Why the hell did humans have such a problem with skeleton monsters? “You ought to have Sans report people for discrimination, especially if he can do a job and he isn’t considered for it. Or another monster is given the position, when Sans could do just as well if not better in whatever position that happens to be."

“it’s...complicated.” Papyrus said, shoulders hunching as his skull retreated further beneath his fuzzy hood. “but i can pass the idea along to him.” Papyrus fell silent and decided to follow you to the check out You were a little confused when Papyrus automatically bagged your groceries for you. But it almost seemed like he wanted something to do to take his mind his brother's employment troubles. As soon as the two of you stepped outside, Papyrus turned toward you in time to see you shiver in the lightly falling snow.

”didn’t bring a coat?”

”I left it at home.” You said, holding your grocery bags. “I was focused on getting to the store before it really started to snow, so I wasn't really thinking things through.”

Papyrus was quiet for a moment before he seemed to make some internal decision and took off his hoodie before holding it out to you.

”Papyrus?”

”here." Papyrus continued to hold out his hoodie. "You can use this and give it back the next time we meet.”

"Are you sure you don't need it?" You asked. "The snow is only going to become heavier." You saw that the monster had only been wearing a black tank beneath the hoodie. "You'll get that tank soaked if you don't wear something over it."

"arms up." Papyrus said in return.

"Why?" You asked, even as you set your groceries down to preform the action.

A small smile tugged at Papyrus` jaw bone.

Your vision was suddenly obscured by fabric as Papyrus pulled his hoodie over your head with a low chuckle, likely because of how big it was on you. You shooed Papyrus' hands away, only the slightest bit aware of the brush of his hand against your shoulder until you noted that the hoodie was very warm and comfortable.

"we both better get home before the storm gets too heavy. wouldn't want to get caught out in the snow." Papyrus said, walking off down the sidewalk after sneakily flipping the fuzzy hood up over your head before you could protest wearing his hoodie. 

When you shoved the furry lining of the hood out of your vision, Papyrus was gone.

How did he move so quickly?

Making a note to send Papyrus a text later, you rolled up the sleeves, picked up your groceries and huddled inside of the warm fabric of the hoodie. It was partially lined with the same soft fur, and as you stood waiting for the bus, the more you appreciated having the hoodie draped over your frame, keeping your core warm. By the time the bus arrived, you resolved to make notes to remind yourself to wear your full winter apparel when heading out into an incoming snowstorm aka potential blizzard.

You hoped that Papyrus had gotten home all right, and sent a text message in advance of returning home. You were relieved to find an affirmative from the monster, and answered an incoming text from Natalie to inform her that you were nearly home. Staring out the window of the bus, you definitely wanted to make sure you didn't get caught in the snowstorm. You looked away from the window, and saw that the bus was emptier then you were used to being. Nearly twitching with nerves, you were quite happy to get off the bus and go back into the cold, if it meant that you'd get home faster. As you carefully walked along the snow-covered sidewalk, you realized that the storm was picking up with the sudden gusts of wind threatening to knock you over.

It was very close to white out conditions, with the snow flakes becoming thick clumps as it started to pile up on the ground.

You supposed you were glad that your grocery bags were heavy enough to keep you upright. As you struggled against the wind and snow buffeting you, you passed by an alley a few blocks away from your apartment. You moved a little faster when you heard raised voices, as it made you think of your encounters with Sans at night months ago. By the time you got home and locked yourself in, you were calm again and put your groceries away.  As the time ticked by in your apartment, you were beginning to wonder if you should have called someone about the voices you’d heard in the alley. By 10 at night, you had mostly forgotten about the incident, until you got a text message.

Papyrus: _sans didn’t happen to start following you again, did he?_

You: _Not that I’ve noticed? I haven’t been as alert as before._

Papyrus: _k_

There were no other texts from the monster.

The single letter made you worry, and, thinking back over the fact that your were still wearing his hoodie, you picked up your phone and called Papyrus.

_“hey._ ” Papyrus sounded exhausted, his voice barely there.

Had the cold affected him after all?

“I just wanted to tell you that while I didn’t see Sans, I did hear voices coming from an alley on my way home. I didn’t stick around to see what was going on, because the snowstorm was getting worse, and I...I didn’t want to be attacked. Even if it wasn’t fully dark out, I didn’t want to risk it. I’ve heard what’s happened in the past on the news.”

_“i’d go check it myself...but right now, i can’t_.” Papyrus really did sound awful, like he was sick. “ _today felt like a good day, but it turns out it really wasn’t as of an hour ago. can barely move without-“_

“Are you sick? Can monsters get colds? Is this because you gave me your hoodie? Why did I let you convince me it was okay if your were just going to get ill in a tank top?”

“ _lettin’ you use my hoodie has nothing to do with the state i’m in now. don’t worry about it.”_ Papyrus told you. “ _as for sans...i’m sure he will turn up. he is probably just avoiding me right now because he realized that he ended up driving me out of the house. not that I mind him shooing me out of the house to be outside when i really need it."_ Papyrus’ voice quieted further. _“i need to go lie down for a bit. can i call you la_ ter?”

“If you’d like.”

“i would like it."

“Okay. Talk to you later then.” You smile over the way Papyrus made a noncommittal grunt and hung up. But as soon as you set your phone aside, you began to feel a little conflicted. While Sans wasn’t exactly your favorite person, what with following you around before and staring at you, Sans was still Papyrus’ brother, and Papyrus cared about him.  The voices from the alley filtered back into your thoughts. Maybe you should call someone to go take a look after all? It wouldn’t hurt to be sure that no one was hurt or anything like that, even if you doubted that someone like Sans would be jumped in an alley instead of the other way around.

Distant, barely noticeable flashing lights drew your attention to your window that faced the street.

That was weird.

What was going on when a blizzard was threatening to dump inches upon inches of snow over the city?

You peered out the window through the flurry of snow, and just barely made out the flashing lights of the police cars, and the distinct shapes of monsters gathered with humans. You had to squint a little since they were so far away, but you had an uneasy feeling settle into the pit of your stomach.  The area they were near...it was around the alley that you had passed by earlier in the evening.

Oh no.

Had you actually heard a crime being committed, or been witness to the prelude of one? You should have made that call after all, even if it had turned out to be nothing, instead of what you saw now. You should have-

A single knock sounded on your front door.

It was done quietly, almost hesitantly, as if the one doing the knocking didn’t actually want to bother you.

You noticed that both Tally and Sashay had vanished from sight. 

Well, that wasn’t a good sign, but really, whoever it was outside your door had to be one of your neighbors. Everyone who lived in the apartment needed a passcode to even get inside the building, and visitors had to be buzzed in. 

Still wearing Papyrus’ comfy hoodie, you cautiously walked over to your door, and leaned over from the side to peer through the spyglass. You did a double take before slowly going to stand directly in front of the door. Yo u had to be imagining things. 

There was just no way that _he_ was outside your door.

Pulse kicking up a few notches, you looked through the spyglass again. Your struggled to make sense of just  who stood on the other side of the door. 

Sans.

It was Sans.

How in the world had _Sans_ of all people  gotten inside the building? A more important question, however, was why Sans looked like he had had the utter shit beaten out of him. Sans looked like he was struggling to remain upright. The monster's appearance was terrible, with his clothing torn up all over the place. Purple magic leaked from beneath those torn clothes, and there was even a new crack over his left eye to join the two older scars, forcing Sans to keep his socket closed.

You hesitate maybe for a second, before Papyrus’ earlier worry for his brother convinced you to open the door.

Sans expression made it clear that he didn't know what to do now that you’d opened the door, as if Sans had not expected you to actually do so. The short monster must have been more hurt than he let on, because Sans didn’t even bother to raise his gaze higher than the middle of the hoodie. Sans made you freeze in place because he staggered forward and loosely grasped the hoodie with a gloved hand.

“I’m sorry, brother.” Sans voice broke, the monster sounding much younger than he usually did, and almost....ashamed?

“Sans?”

The skeleton's eye lights brightened for a second, as if thrown by your voice versus the clothing he saw before him. Sans slowly let go of the fabric and took a shaky step back so that he could look you over again. When Sans saw that you were, in fact, not his brother, the brusque manner returned, if a little less intense. 

“Human...” Sans eyed your current attire quietly before he straightened up as best he could before continuing to speak. “Is Papyrus...here?” Sans’ eye lights slowly returned to pinpricks, flickering in his sockets. Sans’ sharp fangs were parted as if he were struggling for breath as his body trembled and his chest heaved on occasion, as if his ribs troubled him.

Oh boy.

How did you explain why you had Papyrus’ hoodie without upsetting the injured monster?

“...Papyrus...” Sans mumbled as he brushed past you to stagger into your apartment. He might have kept going, had Sans not taken a wrong step, causing his entire body to lock up. With a muffled hiss of pain, Sans fell against the nearest wall, leaving some purple streaked on the wall behind as he struggled to right himself.

Well...you supposed that was one way to delay the inevitable.  


Was that purple actually blood? Skeleton monsters could bleed?

“Human!”

Sans wasn't easily deterred, even by his own injuries, as a gloved hand shakily wrapped around one of your wrists.  


“Where is he?”  The hurt and desperation in Sans’ voice had you responding before you could really think things through.  


“At his house?”  


The devastated expression seemed out of place until Sans spoke, his voice rough with pain.

”You didn’t let him stay here with you?” Sans’ uninjured socket narrowed at you, looking appalled. “What kind of a date-mate are you, sending him to walk home in a snowstorm?”

What in the hell was Sans talking about? 

What even was a date-mate? 

Sans didn’t allow you to ask any questions or even answer his own as he limped into your kitchen and sank to the floor, as if to slowly bleed out on the tile instead of asking for your help.

Seriously.  


What in the world was going on?

Why was wearing Papyrus’ hoodie such a big deal to Sans? You’d only been lent the hoodie because you were dumb and hadn’t thought to wear your winter coat. You guessed that you did have a pretty good idea what a date-mate entailed, at least from a human standpoint, but why would Sans think you and Papyrus were dating? The two of you were just friends who met up in _Caffeine Fixation_ and just so happened to chat a lot via text or call. And yeah, Papyrus did lend you his hoodie, but he was just making sure that you didn’t freeze your dumb human butt off on your way home.

Right?

You scrambled to get to where you left your phone when you heard what suspiciously sounded like crying coming from your kitchen, even if Sans was making a valiant effort to muffle it. That made you send off several quick texts to Papyrus about what you should do. It was very off-putting in that moment to know that Sans was capable of emotions apart from irritation and arrogance. 

But no matter Papyrus’ response, it appeared like you would be stuck with an unexpected, and wounded, house guest in the middle of a snowstorm that had begun to rage outside, blanketing the city in white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving how these chapters keep ending up so much longer than anticipated. I think this is the longest one yet, and hopefully that okay. Going for a falling into a relationship kind of a deal with Papyrus, where neither he nor the reader notice it at first, and when they do, they just kind of let it keep going. 
> 
> As a head's up, the next chapter will be 1st POV with Sans. I have a draft of it written out, so I'm hoping to get that up earlier next weekend.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg Sans demanded attention, so here’s another longer chapter. As an Fyi, I think it strays a little toward M as a rating, mainly for the violence and injuries.

If there was one thing about the surface world that bothered me the most, it would be the humans who lied outright.

One such lie happened during another failed attempt to retain a job, amd this, in turn, had me destroying the lower floor of the home Papyrus and I had made for ourselves in this unfamiliar place. I didn’t even care that the air was thick with my magic, crackling and out of control. Just the thought of what had transpired made my magic flare up even more than before. The human had told me that they’d had many applicants and then proceeded to offer some foolish comment about their concern over me being able to handle myself if there was an emergency. That they didn’t want to endanger me, and said they’d have to move on with other candidates.

I flung several jagged bones into the wall of the living room with a snarl.

A lie.

One meant to placate me, and have me leave without a fuss.

Ordinarily, I had perfect control over myself, as one didn’t survive in my original home by allowing oneself to be ruled by emotions. But I had been tempted, so sorely tempted, to call the human out on their blatant lie. I could smell their fear when I got up to leave, just as one of their other security guards, a small monster that looked more frail than I, passed by.I didn’t start a scene, but I made it obvious with narrowed sockets that I knew exactly why the job had not been offered to me personally.

Humans were foolish beings, to be afraid of a monster that resembled that which they turned into when they died, when their flesh slowly revealed their insides.

Trembling with exertion, I finally dismissed my bone constructs that had littered the whole of the living room and part of the hallway. My body sagged as I grasped either of my humerus, claws nicking bone beneath my clothing as I made an attempt to calm myself.

I shouldn’t have lost control. I had much better discipline than this, and throwing a tantrum over being denied another job did me no favors, other than exhaust myself and leave me with low magic reserves. Eventually, I let go, and dropped my hands to my side as I took in a breath and let it out slowly. Completely useless for one who had no lungs, but the action itself required my attention, and therefore, was useful when being used to center myself.

There were more places that I could apply to in the city, and perhaps, I would take the advice my brother had given me through his human he’d been talking to. Report the places I’d been attempting to secure a job at for discrimination. The process was likely to be unpleasant, since it seemed like a majority of the populace I’d encounter thus far had a wariness for skeleton monsters in particular. Asking for help...it was difficult. I preferred to take care of problems on my own, so as not to be in anyone’s debt. But being on the surface for over a year and failing to secure a job on my own...perhaps I should take the advice after all.

Papyrus...

I looked up to the second floor of the house and stared for a moment, before my shoulders slumped further. In my anger, I had only somewhat noticed that my brother was home when I decided to start to lay waste to the living room and surrounding area. And now that I was calm, I did not sense Papyrusin the house at all. Slowly, I began to clean up the mess that I had made, guilt slowly settling in my soul as I realized that my flare up of violent magic had driven my brother out of the house.

I sighed and, once the mess was cleaned up, I attempted to distract myself by watching the news with some late lunch I’d made up. I took in the information presented to me with a passing interest as I ate. I had a feeling that there was the possibility that I would need to get my strength back up, if I decided to go track Papyrus down, instead of waiting for him to come home on his own. But the weather forecast made the decision for me.

The city we lived in the outskirts of was under a blizzard warning and in turn, this meant that the house could potentially be snowed in.

I refused to be trapped within my own home, not knowing if and when Papyrus would return. Swiftly disposing of my plate into the kitchen sink with plans to clean it later, I exited the house. I had to leave now if I wanted to have any luck tracking down my brother in the city. Papyrus had that irritating teleportation trick of his that he could use to elude my presence if he really wanted to stay hidden.   
  
A short cut that was often utilized to avoid doing chores, come to think of it.

I stomped down the lane that led from house to surrounding woods, grumbling to myself at the walk I had ahead of me. Without Papyrus and his shortcuts, it would take me well into the evening by the time I reached the city by foot.

The things I did for my brother, even if it was my fault in the first place that Papyrus had left the house.

Hours later, and I was satisfied by the sight of Papyrus entering a grocery store. I became ever so irritable when I saw him leave the building, however, with the human from the coffee shop by his side. I turned on my heel and headed in the direction of the human’s apartment, not wishing to see any more of the easy interaction. But the thrum of Papyrus’ soul so happy pleased me, even if it worried me. I still didn’t think that we ought to lower our guard around a human so easily, especially since we weren’t very well established in the city. Not for the first time, I considered Papyrus’ collar, but it wasn’t like it would do any good in this world. No one would know not to mess with him if they didn't want to risk my wrath.

I frowned as I walked. 

Perhaps I could change that once I finally retained a job? Despite this world being somewhat safer, I didn't want to chance my brother's life unnecessarily. I don't think Papyrus had even worn the collar all that often since coming to this world. Perhaps only a few times, and usually only when Papyrus had a particularly bad nightmare and needed the reassurance.

I sighed, shaking the thought from my mind as I continued on my way.

Another idea to keep in mind for a later time.

As I neared the human’s dwelling, I ended up stopping in my tracks when I heard a monster’s soul sharply cry out for help. I reacted as I would have while on duty in my underground. Without hesitation, I rushed into the nearby alley, my magic at the ready to deal with the perpetrators who were harassing a monster. Sidestepping a human that raised a gun, I used a bone construct to swiftly knock the weapon out of the human’s hand. While the other humans were distracted by my sudden appearance, I hastily steered the dog monster out of the alley, making certain that they didn’t freeze up. Once they got the message and scrambled far enough away, I spun around and blocked another attack, this time from a knife.

A...

A knife.

I jerked backward at the briefest hesitation at the sight of the blade before steeling my resolve.

It was just a knife.

There was no need to overreact.

In the face of such a high amount of killing intent, I had to be careful and pay attention to my opponents.

Most unfortunately, I didn’t have time to pull any of the humans surrounding me into an encounter. I was instead forced into motion to make sure I didn’t have my back to any of my newly acquired enemies. On reflex, I checked to make sure no one was lurking above me, before throwing a hand up and forcing several humans to stumble back to avoid being skewered by several varieties of bone constructs. This set off a flurry of insults from the gathered humans.

“Damn monster!”

“We don’t need your kind here!”

"Go back where you came from!”

I turned out the insults after the first few were flung because they added nothing to a battle apart from pointless noise. This seemed to offend some of the bolder humans, who broke past the barrier of bones. One was even brave enough to take a swing at me with their first. Scoffing at their terrible form, I back stepped out of range and sent them to the ground with a well placed kick to their backside. That the other humans were surprised to see this happen told me that they didn’t realize that monsters, regardless of size or shape, could preform feats of strength when properly trained and used their magic efficiently.  I continued to evade the pathetic attacks, wondering if this was even worth my time. And then, I foolishly made a costly mistake, so focused on the patterns of attack.

Ice had begun to form on the ground.

I failed to notice this, and slipped, my form shattering for a brief instant, which gave my assailants an opening.

A crack rang out, and I held back a cry of pain as a terrible, burning ache settled into my left socket, along with the dripping of marrow. It was not my intention to completely fall over, but I rolled with it as I evaded a human’s kick that might hit have otherwise struck my ribs as I sprang right back to my feet. I shut myself out to the agony in my socket as I waved a hand and pinned two humans to the alley wall with several bones, though I was immediately forced to turn to the side to evade another slash from a blade. I didn’t move far enough, my spatial vision thrown off since my eye light had vanished from the damaged socket.   


That misstep cost me dearly, and I hated myself for not properly evading as I should have. My ribs were nicked through clothing, the brief halt in my movement allowing the other humans to crowd me. Without thinking, I brought up a cage of bones around myself to block them from getting any closer as I reassessed the situation. I didn't have much time to do so. To make matters worse, gunfire began, striking my makeshift barrier. I ground my fangs together hard as some of the bullets made it past, and began ricocheting past me from all around the barrier I’d made. Some of the bullets missed, but some left nasty cracks in my bones. I held up the bones until one bullet did what the others couldn’t, and struck my left scapula. The sharp flare of pain caused my concentration to completely shatter this time around.

The next moments flew by in a whirl of agony.

The humans fell upon me with kicks and their blades, until I suddenly found myself on the ground. There wasn’t much to do but curl up and take the beating, as I gathered up my magic for a burst of energy. It nearly took too long, as I felt some fool wrap their filthy hand around my neck and lift me off the ground. There was a sound of jeering, as if the humans were making fun of me now, but I ignored them and focused my magic, the creeping sense of danger crawling up my spine.

A knife suddenly plunged through my side, clipping off the tip of a rib, the piece that fell off dusting.

A small chunk of my HP left me.

Danger.

Another laugh, and someone tore through fabric again, this time completely slicing off half of a lower rib with a snap.

I let out a choked sound over the feeling of dust against my hip bones and lower spine.

Magic pulsed around me sluggishly.

I could be in danger of dusting in this unfamiliar place. 

Another slice, this time missing any bone, but it was too close.

Much too close.

Papyrus...

I couldn’t leave him here all alone, with humans like this around.

With a low growl, I unleashed my magic in a violent burst, careless of actual aim. The screams were only somewhat satisfying amidst the pain I was in, yet I felt myself released and braced myself as I collapsed to the ground. I took only a moment to check on my attackers, to make certain they were sufficiently injured enough that they wouldn’t do harm to anyone for a very long time.

If they survived their wounds, that is.

Despite the sorry state I was now in, I knew that I couldn’t linger. I had to leave, even if it hurt to move my body. And despite not feeling well, I was certain to clean the alley of any traces of my magic, including the magic that lingered from the humans’ new wounds. Satisfied that I had done what I could, I staggered out of the alley, doing my best to keep out of sight as I finished walking to the human’s apartment. I had promised Papyrus that I wouldn’t be caught for any reason. That neither of us would be separated on the surface. 

My brother was going to be upset.

There was no way an investigation wouldn't be done. It just depended on how quickly the humans were found in this snowy weather.

With a shaky sigh, I willed myself to ignore the pain as I watched the apartment for a way to get inside. I hoped it would be sooner rather than later, since the snow had begun to fall harder than earlier, the wind picking up. I didn’t see the human Papyrus spoke often to, but there was another human who entered through the back door. Hastily, I used my magic to prevent the door from closing, and stumbled forward to slip inside, my magic sputtering and dying as its hold on the door left.

I was getting weaker.

My HP steadily ticked down, my body quivering now and again against the strain of still being used. It took every ounce of discipline in me to prevent my bones from rattling, shock warring with the will to keep moving. I took a brief moment to locate the human’s soul, and, finding it, began the rather arduous task of heading up the stairwell, as I couldn’t risk being seen by taking the elevator. 

Ten flights of stairs was a bit much in my current state, but I would never say as much aloud.

I was exhausted by the time I exited the stairwell, beyond relieved that the human’s apartment door was immediately to my left. And the closer I got to the door, the more I realized that I could faintly smell my brother. This would be a little awkward, perhaps, but I knew that I needed assistance with healing, and Papyrus would leave the lecture for once I was out of danger. Confronting my brother on the actions I had taken was going to be unpleasant, even if I had acted on the behalf of protecting another monster. But one look at my stats and Papyrus would know how I handled the situation, which was sloppy compared to normal.

I had gained EXP too, which meant one or some of the humans had died. 

That wasn’t good.

Had I been in better shape I would have gone back to clean the scene up myself. But with the blizzard, I would have to hope that the damage I and the humans had caused would go unnoticed. But as there hadn’t been any more EXP gain, I had to assume that someone had noticed the flare of my magic.

I would have to lie low for some time.

I was going to get the _look._

Papyrus had to have sensed what I had done.

The door to the apartment was closed. 

I had yet to announcement presence.

I knew that I was delaying, and with my injuries, that was a foolish thing to do. So I reached out and knocked, my hand shaky and causing the knock to be a great deal quieter than it normally would have been. I had already prepared an explanation to appeal to the human to let me in to allow my brother to heal me. The door opened, and I froze, coming face to face with my brother’s hoodie. That, I wasn’t prepared for, so I changed tactics and carefully reached out to grasp that stupid black and purple hoodie. Best to reassure my brother before the pain overwhelmed me and I was unable to let him know I would. _..hopefully_ be okay.

"I’m sorry, brother.” I couldn't prevent my voice from reflecting uncertainty. It made me sound like I was a young monster again, who knew they were about to be scolded. 

“Sans?”

I jerked my head up, focusing on the fact that that hadn't been Papyrus' voice. 

It was the human. 

The human was wearing my brother's clothes?

Slowly, I let go of the fabric and took an unsteady step back. My mood turned sour, thinking about how quickly Papyrus had managed to get into the human's good favor, while I was still as alone as ever, apart from my brother. I straightened up as best I could with my injuries and set about demanding information. 

“Human...” I ignored the fact that my sight was beginning to blur. “Is Papyrus...here?” I could feel my body tremble, unable to stop myself from parting my fangs to draw in unnecessary breath. My ribs hurt with every expanding of them with the automatic motion that came with breathing. 

“...Papyrus...” I  mumbled. I had to find my brother, and the human was not being cooperative. I would just have to locate Papyrus myself. Unfortunately, my wounds were making themselves known, as I felt a hitch in my ribs before a flare of agony rose in my damaged socket. My body locked up, but I pushed through it despite letting slip a hiss of pain. I fell back into a nearby wall, but was determined to not fall to the floor. I couldn’t help but notice that purple began to drip off my body in a worrying amount. Magic and marrow mixed together, and I gnashed my teeth together in helpless frustration. I needed my brother, _now_ , and that motivated me enough to push away from the wall. I grasped the human’s wrist to draw their attention.

“Human!” I took a sharp breath as my ribs brushed against fabric, my desperation rising against the resulting agony of cracked bone.  “Where is he?”    


“At his house?”  


The human’s answer made my HP drop an alarming chunk. The...They made Papyrus go out into weather like this? I thought...I thought the human and my brother were close?

This didn’t make any sense.

The human had put my brother in unnecessary danger.

”You didn’t let him stay here with you?” Suspicion began to rise as my uninjured socket narrowed at the human. I was appalled at this sort of behavior, if I was correct in what my brother’s intentions were with this human. “What kind of a date-mate are you, sending him to walk home in a snowstorm?” I didn’t want to listen to any excuse, so I turned away from the human wearing my brother’s clothing, and made it into the pathetically small kitchen before my body finally decided to gave out on me.

Lying still on the floor, I gave up trying to fool myself.

I was alone.

There was nothing I could do but wait out the pain and let my magic raise high enough to attempt some self-healing. I was proficient at it, considering the amount of time spent using the healing magic on myself, or when Papyrus had his night terrors, as well as those rare instances when he was injured. Thankfully, Papyrus' HP was higher in those times, otherwise he would have dusted.

These injuries of mine...

Back in my underground, I ordinarily would just bear the pain as I scared the perpetrators into compliance in a show of strength in the face of terrible wounds. But the moment I was home, the stolid mask would crack just enough for Papyrus to know that his assistance was needed. While he wasn’t the best at healing, my brother  could heal me enough that I could then finish the job myself.

I was lucky that Papyrus knew me so well, since I had long since forgotten how to ask for help, as displaying weakness could get one killed in our original home.

Lying on the tilled floor with marrow sluggishly leaking out of my broken bones, a dull ache radiated out from my shot scapula. This pain...it put my mind back to my past as a child. Barely old enough to no longer be considered a baby bones. These wounds...they reminded me of the first time I had endured multiple life-threatening injuries for Papyrus’ sake. It had been typical our world, that situation.

A monster with a high LV looking for easy EXP to satisfy their urge to kill and kill again. 

A monster who no longer respected the striped clothes of children, only focused on what should have been easy EXP.

I still don’t know how I’d mustered up enough courage back then, as I had been naïve to the cruelty of our world. But the monster had threatened my brother, even if they had thrown him into a pile of snow to be dealt with later as they went after me first.

My memory of that moment was a mix of agony and a rush of adrenaline as I’d taken a beating but in the end, my magic was used with raw desperation in an effort to get the attack to _stop_.And it did, according to Papyrus, who told me that I’d been overwhelmed by the sudden LV hike from 1 to 8 in an instant. Coupled with my injuries, I’d broken down in my brother's arms. One of the few times in my life that I had none of the discipline to fall back on in the midst of raw emotions. I remembered Papyrus had made the effort to attempt to heal me, before he held me close and brokenly whispered that everything would be all right.

And it had been.

Eventually.

But right now?

Lying in a tiny kitchen in a human's home?

I was reduced to that young child who cried and sook out comfort from someone who was not currently there.  Try as I may, I was unable to prevent the traitorous tears of my magic from spilling out of both my eye sockets, aggravating my damaged left as it mixed with the fresh injuries. I detested displaying this moment of weakness, positive that the human would use it against me in some way. But I heard them fumbling for something, and after a brief moment of silence, they sounded like they were speaking to someone. 

An attempt was made to get up, a part of me desperate to make certain that no human healers were called, or worse, to have someone come to take me to one of those hospitals. I would be discovered for sure, and then it would be only a matter of time before Papyrus would be found. I made one final try to get up, the footsteps that now approached me causing me to redouble my efforts.

“Sans! Stop, you might hurt yourself more.”

With great reluctance, I did go inert, if only because it hurt too much to keep myself upright. I clenched my hands into fists as I made the conscious decision to not allow my bones to rattle. It would only serve to aggravate any wounds I had on my bones. A guarded air fell over me as the human drew nearer.

“Can you see well enough from here, or do I need to move closer?”

I suck in an unnecessary breath as I come to the conclusion that the human had called my brother. Of all people to see me in this condition, I would have preferred to be capable of speech to reassure Papyrus that it wasn’t as bad as it looked. I kept my skull resting on the tile as the human moved around me, likely at Papyrus’ insistence to see the extent of damage. I wasn’t listening to words any longer, however, my soul clenching in an uncomfortable way as more of my HP chipped away. A light touch to my left scapula caused me to let out a pathetically weak, unintentional cry of pain, making me inch way from the touch.

Why did it hurt?

I’d been...I’d been wounded there...

Yes, the alley.

The knives and guns...

But clarity in my memory was failing me as the steady, deep ache settled into my shoulder from the initial point of pain.

By the time the human gently turned me onto my side, I was entirely complacent and allowed the motion to happen without protest. It had to have been my imagination and skirting the edge of consciousness, but I could have sworn that I sensed the anguished cry of Papyrus’ soul from clear across the city.  The careful hand that slid along my skull felt pleasant compared to the heat of my various wounds. But I wouldn’t allow my injuries to dust me. I was stronger than that, and besides, I already decided that I wouldn’t leave Papyrus all alone in this world.

The human was saying something, but seemed muffled, as if coming from further away. 

At some point, my uninjured socket must have extinguished the remaining eye light. I saw nothing but was still aware enough of my surroundings to know I wasn’t out quite yet. I may have even drifted off briefly before instantly coming to when something soft wrapped around my aching body. Too exhausted to care, I took comfort in picking up the scent of my brother’s hoodie, as the human easily picked me up and carried me a few paces from where I’d initially collapsed. I was placed on a soft surface that I sank into, my body automatically curling into a tight, pained ball. As I settled, I made a vague note that my shirt didn’t feel the same, and some foreign material was wrapped around some of my ribs, other limbs, my scapula and around my injured socket.

Marginally relaxing in the quiet space and nest of soft objects, I managed to make my eye light flicker into existence in time to see the human remove my brother’s hoodie, and kneel in front of me. 

What were they up to?

I twitched the faintest amount when the hoodie was laid over me. Once this was done, the human got up and moved away, to presumably give me space. Perhaps Papyrus had informed them that I didn’t like to be seen in moments of weakness like this? Whatever the case, I allowed my guard to drop, just this once. I needed the rest, as loathe as I was to admit it. But since Papyrus trusted this human, I would put my trust in his judgement, and get what rest I could.  The familiar smell of Papyrus’ magic and his medical drugs from the hoodie lulled me into a painless slumber. It would be the longest rest I had had in a very long time, and the next time my eye light flickered back, Papyrus was kneeling beside me, already in the process of healing my wounds.

“...you can stop.” My words were slurred from sleep as I twitched my hand out from beneath a blanket and the hoodie. Resting my hand over Papyrus that was covering my damaged left socket, I continued. “...don’t overexert...yourself.”

“i got this, bro.” Papyrus said reassuringly. “took a rest before coming here. smoked some meds too. i got enough left in me to heal you part of the way, even if your healing magic is better than mine.”

My soul squeezed tight, seeing the exhaustion just beneath my brother’s good socket. Papyrus was also wearing the patch over this right eye, which told me he was still in some pain.

Stupid mongrel hadn't slept at all, had he?

“here.” Papyrus used his free hand to hold a small piece of...something against my teeth.

Was it a pill?

I recalled procuring some pain relievers for monsters before finding the medicinal drugs Papyrus now smoked.

“feel like shit, don’t you?” Papyrus gently tapped my teeth again. “it’ll take the edge off.”

Letting out a grunt of agreement, I parted my fangs to allow Papyrus to drop the small pill inside. It dissipated quickly, and after it was gone altogether, I slowly dropped my hand from Papyrus’ own. I settled back into the warmth of the soft material as I let him do as he would. I wouldn’t deny Papyrus his desire to help me, just as he wouldn't refuse my help when offered. I also couldn’t deny the relief that came from my socket slowly mending from the blow it had taken. And the medicine that my brother had given me was also doing it’s work...

In fact...not only was the ache retreating, my consciousness was too.

Sneaky.

Yawning, my eye light winked out, and I felt a slight flicker of guilt from my brother, confirming my sudden suspicion. I ground my fangs a little but I let myself dismiss the white lie he'd given me, for now. When I woke back up, I would give Papyrus hell for slipping me some monster sedatives. It was as if he was positive that I was going to crawl out of the makeshift bed and get to my feet with my body only half-healed. While that was exactly my plan, I supposed that I couldn’t fault Papyrus for his foresight.

Didn't mean I agreed with his methods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans is totally going to have his actions in the alley come back to haunt him at a later time. Classic Sans ain't gonna be happy to have to deal with the mess that comes from it. I love how this fic has swerved so drastically from the initial, more fluffy outline. I'm having a lot of fun though. I also think I should prob add a tag for multiple pov/pov switches, since I'm sure in a few chapters, if not sooner, it'll be Papyrus' turn for a chapter. (Edit-added the tags)
> 
> And btw, I want to let you all know that I really appreciate reading the comments that have been left-it gives me boosts of 'I must write more now, go do that draft, edit things at weird hours, askjfhsdfojsdhf reactions, etc etc. Also, I've been trying to just answer specific questions that crop up, because I kind of prefer leaving the actual review count as is versus making it shoot up by replying to everything, even though I am very tempted to.  
> Edit: There's likely to be another update either late tonight, or sometime Sunday.  
> Edit 2: would you all be interested in chapter snippet previews on tumblr?


	10. Chapter 10

You were grateful that you could perform well in instances that were stressful or unexpected, and were able to follow instructions when given to you. But now that the surprise had faded, you found yourself sitting on your couch and staring down at a fitfully sleeping Sans. The monster had buried himself among the blankets, pillows and his brother’s hoodie, fast asleep now.

Neither Sashay or Tally had made an appearance, the cats choosing to remain out of sight with a stranger in your home. 

What even was your life right now? 

You couldn’t believe that less than fifteen minutes ago, you’d taken Sans shirt off while he’d been bleeding all over, even if you'd done so at Papyrus’ insistence. But you hadn’t wanted Sans to dust in your kitchen, so away his bloody clothing went, revealing the extent of the damage. Those wounds on Sans’ bones had been...distressing, with cracks littered everywhere, old and new. You hadn’t had time to focus on that, intent on paying attention to Papyrus’ words as he walked you through how to stabilize his brother. Because of this, your feelings on the matter hadn’t fully settled in.

And then, you had seen the gray specks of dust. 

It wasn’t something you or anyone you knew had even seen.

Papyrus had needed a moment to collect himself before directing you to bind the cracked bones with bandages.

You hadn’t let yourself think too much about what could have happened if those injuries had been worse. Your hands would have trembled too much to be of any use. But when you reached Sans’ shoulder, both you and Papyrus needed a moment after seeing the bullet lodged in Sans’ scapula.

You could still remember Papyrus' odd outburst in regard to you suggesting that Sans he brought to a hospital. He’d been adamant about not having Sans taken to one, but had been rather vague about the reason why. It had been difficult for you to take all of this in, and let Papyrus know as much.

Papyrus apologized, even if it wasn’t his fault that his brother had turned up on your doorstep. But you managed to get the secretive monster to agree to explain the situation with the hospital when Sans was out of danger.

Said monster currently shifted.

You glanced down at Sans from your spot on the couch, still thinking about what had happened. Sans let out a thin sound from where he rested, and you watched as his gloved hand reached out from beneath the blanket, searching.

Was he looking for Papyrus?

You knew that your tall monster friend told you that he would contact you in about an hour to check how things were going. That was about 45 minutes from now.

Sans reached out again, a louder, distressed whine slipping out of him.

The sound of rattling bones grew audible.

You hesitate for a moment before getting up off the couch, and settled on the floor by the little nest of blankets and pillows that you’d made up for Sans. It was a good thing that you hoarded so much soft bedding. Carefully, you maneuvered a pillow close to Sans’ chest beneath the blanket. Much to your amusement, the monster clung to the pillow, holding it tightly.

That was kind of a cute look.

You may have sat there and creepily watched Sans, but you were a little worried over the way his uninjured socket was open, but devoid of light. You phone alerted you to a message, and you flushed a little in embarrassment.

Had you really just stared at Sans sleeping for 45 minutes?

Obviously you had, once you’d gotten up to go check on your phone and saw the time, along with the expected text.

Papyrus: _how're you two doing?_

You: _Ok. Sans is sleeping. I think. His socket is open but there isn't any light in it._

Papyrus: _that can happen when there's trauma_

Papyrus: _as soon as i can keep myself together, i'll come over. probably six or seven in the morning_

You: _Like I said, just text me in advance. I'll be up._

Papyrus: _thanks_

Papyrus: _can i get your address?_

You text it to him, and after a few more brief exchanges, the both of you turn in for bed. Only...sleep didn't come to you very easily, and before you knew it, Papyrus was texting you that he would be there soon You were still dubious about him getting to your apartment during the still-raging storm, but you were surprised to see another text from Papyrus come only a minute later.

Papyrus: _i'm here. let me in?_

How in the world was Papyrus already _here?!_

Baffled, you walked past Sans still cuddled up against the pillow to buzz Papyrus in through the locked doors.

"My apartment is up on the tenth floor. Door's at the end of the hall by the stairwell."

" _i'll be a little longer_." Papyrus voice was grim. " _i can sense some of Sans' magic, which means there may also be blood on the floor when he entered the building. i'll clean it up and be up shortly."_

It ends up being ten minutes before there was a knock on the door.

You peek through the spyglass to confirm that it was Papyrus before unlocking the door and opening it. He was wearing a warm, fuzzy looking sweater that hugged his ribs and it was short enough on him that it showed off a bit of his spine. 

"He seems no worse then last night." You tell your friend. From the pinched look around his good socket, you were pretty sure that Papyrus was freaking out internally. "Sans is over by the couch. He hasn’t moved from the spot I put him." You added, stepping aside to allow Papyrus into your apartment.

The tall monster offered a grateful if tired smile, and walked quickly over to his brother, before sagging onto the floor next to him. 

You shut and locked the door, turning in time to see Sans reach out toward Papyrus with a shaky gloved hand. 

"I'm going to be in my room if you need anything." 

Papyrus’ eye light flicked over to you before offering a single nod as his skull turned back to Sans.

Based off of the anguish you had heard when you'd initially shown Papyrus the state his brother was in, you weren't surprised that his focus was now solely on his sibling. As you open the door to your bedroom, you felt that it it would have been nice to experience that level of love and affection from another person. Despite Sans displaying a stiff, irritated and often dismissive manner in Papyrus' presence, you wondered if this was only because they were in the presence of strangers. 

Maybe the behavior didn't extend to when they were safely in the comfort of their own home? Papyrus seemed to care too much for Sans to be subjected to such a mood from his brother all of the time.

You remained in your room like you'd told Papyrus, intent on letting the brothers have some peace and quiet without any prying eyes while Sans healed. You had more than enough to entertain yourself with, from working on your novels to doodling in a sketchbook. You eventually decided to work on outlining some future novel ideas, as well as new characters, inspired by Papyrus, Sans and other people you’d seen or met outside of your apartment. You had yet to introduce the coffee addict into a story, since that character hadn't fit into the more serious tone of the novel that you had just finished up.

Maybe you could try something different? It as up to the readers if your series had a fifth entry, among the standalone novels in between those publications.

Tally must have chosen to hide in your room, because as you typed, he made a sudden appearance. Tally sprawled comfortably across your lap with outstretched feet and a lazy purr.

Petting Tally absently, you got caught up in brainstorming. At one point, after a mess of bullet points, you were trying to remember a new idea that had come to mind earlier. And that was when a knock on your bedroom door jolted you out of your creative headspace.

Tally vanished beneath your bed.

"mind if i come in?" 

Papyrus.

"Door's open." You said in return, finishing up your thought as your fingers flew over the keyboard, hitting save as the door creaked open.

You really should oil the hinges.

It sounded like a door in a horror movie.

"i owe you an explanation, don't i?" Papyrus’ skull poked past the door, but he didn’t quite enter as his purple eye light landed on you.

"How is Sans?" You ask, spinning your chair fully away from your computer.

"doing better." Papyrus said softly, eye light dimming a little. "those injuries were worse than i thought. especially that...bullet injury."

"I do want to know about the whole hospital deal, but I would rather you focus on Sans getting better first. An explanation can wait, so long as there is still one incoming." You told Papyrus. The monster looked even more exhausted in person. "Maybe you should get some rest too?"

"i..." Papyrus' fangs snick together, bony fingers gripping the door-frame as he stared at you, as if trying to puzzle something out.

"If you're hungry, there's probably some monster food in the pantry." You frowned in thought, trying to picture what you had. "I haven't had any monsters visit in a long time, so I don't know much monster food I have left from last time." 

"it’s okay for me to come in?" Papyrus' voice was nearly inaudible, his gaze averted as he repeated his earlier words.

"Sure?" You didn't see why not. It wasn't like he was interrupting you or anything. You were mostly just using the time to get plot bunnies out of your head before they could multiply past the point of no return.

Papyrus looked skeptical at your easy agreement, but he opened the door enough to slip his tall frame inside the room. He fidgeted with his sweater. From the way his hands moved, Papyrus seemed to want to put them into a pocket. Papyrus must wear a lot of hoodies and similar clothing for that to become an automatic habit.

"remember what i told you about monsters and how they view personal space?" Papyrus said, taking a few steps closer to your chair. "that we view it differently than humans...and how we can be more...tactile?"

"Yes...?" You weren't entirely sure where this was headed, as you craned your head back to stare up at Papyrus when he halted a few feet from your chair. You keep forgetting how freaking tall this monster was. You blinked in confusion when Papyrus knelt down in front of you and grasped your hands in his own. 

"thank you, for helping my brother, when i couldn’t be there for him." Papyrus looked at you closely for a moment, before surprising you by tugging you off the chair and into his arms. "i know that Sans is still a stranger to you, but i'm glad you let him in."

Whoa.

You hadn't been expecting that.

Papyrus was very warm, holding you against his chest as his hands loosely grasped the back of your shirt. Your brain helpfully confirmed that the monster was indeed hugging you.

"i can’t imagine being in a world where he was gone."

You cautiously wrap your arms around Papyrus’ back, surprised when he sagged into your embrace, as if not expecting the hug to be returned. Being as tall and lanky as he was, Papyrus overbalanced the both of you, which caused you to end up on your backside.

So there you were, sitting on your bedroom floor with a blizzard raging outside, with half a lap-full of monster clinging to you as his face buried against your shoulder. You could feel Papyrus' fangs, but didn't think for a moment that he would hurt you. Papyrus just seemed to be seeking comfort now, and you'd apparently allowed it by returning the hug. 

Monsters really were rather tactile, weren’t they?

But from what little you knew, the monsters had been a close knit community back in the underground, so the sudden hug made sense. Though you did have to wonder what you felt like to Papyrus as he held you. He did mention that monsters had trouble sensing humans due to their lack of magic.

Papyrus let out a slow, shaky sigh after a few seconds before he slowly, almost reluctantly, let go of you.

”sorry for being a clingy wreck.” Papyrus cracked the joke without a pun, which showed that he clearly wasn’t in a humorous mood. “getting up so early this morning didn’t sit too well with me, i guess.”

"Are you...feeling okay now?" You moved your hands away from Papyrus’ back but accidentally brushed the fingers of one of your hands against the back of Papyrus' exposed spine.

Papyrus abruptly let go of you the rest of the way and twitched backward out of your hold, the monster awkwardly clearing his non-existent throat as he looked away.

Whoops.

"S-sorry." You managed to say. 

You really hadn't meant to do that. 

"it's fine." Papyrus said stiffly.

Hmm.

You couldn't tell if the monster was upset or embarrassed with the unintentional touch, so you decided to change subjects.

"Do you need to check on Sans, or is he resting?" You mind automatically drifted back to the hug.

"resting." Papyrus said, staring down at the floor as a few phalange picked at the carpet. "he will be asleep for at least a few hours more."

"Can we...do that again?" You ask, before your nerve could desert you. “The...uh, the hug?” You wouldn’t have asked another human, but seeing as monsters were more open minded about platonic affection between friends...

Papyrus' eye light flickered for a moment, before a small smile crossed those fangs as he drew you into another hug. With Papyrus on his knees, you were able to more easily rest your head against his shoulder.

"no surprise vertebrae brushes this time, yeah?”

You bit back a laugh over the wry words, and nodded against Papyrus’ sweater as you made certain your hands didn't accidentally touch his spine again.

Neither of you moved for awhile.

You couldn't remember the last time you'd had contact with someone, apart from the brief hug you’d get from Natalie on occasion, or your family, some of whom you didn’t see all that often, living in the city. Papyrus hugging you right now felt...comforting. With you head still resting against his shoulder, you couldn’t see his expression, but you did hear a soft 'nyeh', which made you inwardly squee.

What an adorable sound!

The moment ended all too quickly when Papyrus somewhat reluctantly released you again. Sighing, the monster stood up and offered a hand to pull you up to your feet.

"i...i'll find something to eat for lunch." Papyrus mumbled, letting go of your hand. “get somethin’ for sans when he wakes up...”

You were hard pressed to not let out a startled laugh when Papyrus turned away from you and walked straight into a wall instead of through the open doorway.

Papyrus' bones rattled faintly beneath his clothes before he slipped out the door with his skull ducked down.

You caught sight of a faint dusting of purple magic across his cheek bones before he was out of view.

Okay...?

What exactly had _that_ been about?

It was normal for monsters to hug their friends, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus.exe has stopped working. Rebooting to think about sudden feels rationally and whether or not to pursue them. 
> 
> Next chapter is going to be Sans and Reader focused, since Papyrus will be taking a rest face-down on the couch. Sashay will also let everyone know how she feels about the intruders.
> 
> (From what’s been written so far, I guess that everyone is touch starved. Sans is emotionally constipated, Papyrus is cautious and Reader is, well, a little oblivious).


	11. Chapter 11

You left the bedroom after giving Papyrus a head start. By the time you joined him, Papyrus was busying himself in the small kitchen, presumably using some of the monster food that you’d mentioned. You accept a cup of coffee that Papyrus had made, and but back a laugh at the sight of Papyrus downing a bottle of bbq sauce as he cooked...something. You squint at the pan.

Were those...water sausages, or whatever the monsters called them?

“‘m’not that good a cook.” Papyrus mumbled, poking the sausages with a spatula. “sans is the one who’s best at making meals. he doesn’t usually let me cook because i tend to go for easy food to make.”

You take out some plates and set them near the stove for the tall monster.

Papyrus placed some of the sausages on a plate, though he ate some of the sausages with a few bites of his sharp teeth, the food vanishing...somewhere, before the next bite.

“What are you doing with those?” You asked Papyrus, indicating the water sausages on the plate that he had set aside.

“they’re for sans.” Papyrus said as he turned the burner off. He picked up the plate and carried it into the living room, where Papyrus set the plate on the coffee table within easy reach of Sans. “he should eat something when he wakes up. it’ll help with the healing process.” Papyrus stifled a yawn with a hand.

“Do you need to get some rest, Papyrus?” You asked, watching as the tall monster hid another yawn.

“probably should.” Papyrus mumbled.He stared down at Sans for a moment in the pile of blankets and pillows.Papyrus’ shoulders slumped. “it’ll be awhile yet before sans wakes up.”

To your amusement, Papyrus moved around the coffee table, avoided Sans’ slumbering form, and promptly collapsed face-down onto the couch, his feet sticking off the end of the couch.

Soft, steady breathing soon began to rise from the skeleton that resembled snoring.

Cute.

Papyrus was out like a light. Much faster than when he would choose to take a nap in _Caffeine Fixation._

With Sans still fast asleep, you retreated into the kitchen to fix up some lunch for yourself. You also got some food for your cats, since they’d not been around for breakfast due to the unexpected company.

Tally made an appearance, followed by Sashay, though neither cat lingered for long once they ate their meals.

With both monsters asleep, you were surprised the cats vanished so quickly.

Oh well.

They’d come out when they realized that neither Papyrus or Sans were going to do anything to them. The latter was recuperating, so it wasn’t like Sans was going to do be able to do much other than sitting up.

Once finished with your lunch, you decided to curl up on the armchair on your living room and read a book.You passed the time with the novel, but some hours later, Sans showed signs of waking up. This wouldn’t be a problem but you had frozen in place at the sight of Sashay primly crossing the floor, and, watching Sans intently, Sashay raised a paw and smacked the monster’s skull before she retreated a short distance away.

Sans grumbled something, brow bone scrunched up.

“Sashay.” You whispered in a scolding tone.

The cat ignored you as she walked straight back over to Sans, reaching out to smack him again. This time, as the paw swatted bone, Sans’ right eye light flickered into existence. Sashay hissed, fur fluffing out.

Sans’ good eye socket narrowed at Sashay, who was giving a good impression of distain. The monster saw the cat’s paw reach toward him again, so Sans freed one of his hands from beneath the blankets to shoo Sashay away from his head. 

You jumped as Sashay launched onto Sans’ hand, treating the limb like a toy rat as she bit down on bone and kicked with her back feet, a growl issuing out of the feline.

Sans let out a wordless snarl as he bared his fangs at Sashay.

The cat kicked harder, teeth locked around the finger.

“Sashay!” You scolded again, getting up off the chair to take a hold of the cat, using one hand to force her to let go of Sans’ finger. You scoop Sashay up in your arms and set her down in the kitchen, where she ran off the moment you set her down. Sighing heavily, you walked back into the living room to find Sans propping himself you against the couch.You weren’t sure what to make of the scowl that crossed Sans features as he caught sight of Papyrus lying face down on the couch.

Sans gave another glance to his sleeping brother before his skull turned to fic you with a haughty glare. “Do you always allow your beasts to strike those who are down?”

“I just live here.” You said. “I can’t control what my cats do. They have their own personalities, though to be honest, Sashay doesn’t usually bat at people.”

Sans wore an unamused look but was clearly too worn out from his injuries to press the issue apart from a low growl and a some clipped words. “You ought to train manners into them.”

“They’re not dogs.” You laugh over the very idea of doing any training with your cats. “You might be able to get cats to do some tricks but it is really hard to get them to do anything they don’t want to.”Sashay had been aloof for years though this was the first time you’d seen her actually go on the offensive. “Sashay doesn’t take well to strangers and Tally tends to keep his distance even though he is usually a very affectionate cat...” You trailed off, noticing Tally was suddenly on top of the couch. “Huh.”

Sans skull jerked up to see what you were looking at, and his fangs parted. “Touch me or my brother and die.” The affect was somewhat diminished by the monster’s pained voice but it didn’t take much to spook Tally.

The orange cat tensed up before tucking himself in the space between Papyrus and the back of the couch.

Interesting.

You didn’t think Tally would be so quick to warm up to someone that hadn’t been around for that long. Then again, Tally did love to be paid attention to.

“At least that beast knows which of us is stronger.” Sans said, sounding pleased with himself. 

“You seem to be feeling better.” You pointed out, hiding a smile over the way Sans’ chest puffed out.

“Of Course!” Sans voice gained a little volume. “Between Sleep And My Brother’s Use Of Healing Magic, The Pain Is...Bearable.”

You recall the water sausages and pick up the plate, crouching down to offer the plate to the smaller monster. “Papyrus said that you should try to eat something when you woke up.”

“Woke Up...Hm.” Sans’ expression was dark as he shot a glare Papyrus’ way before he sighed and turned back to you. It was then that he noticed what was on the plate. 

You bit your lip to prevent a laugh over the scandalized expression that had crossed Sans’ face at the sight of the water sausages.

“Of Course It Would Be That Kind Of Food.” Sans said with a grumble, eye light rising to you. “And Have You No Silverware? Or Even A Bun?”

“I didn’t expect any guests.” You said, holding the plate closer to the monster. “Do you really want silverware?”

“I Never Said I Was Going To Eat That.” Sans said, skull turning away as his fangs ground together to stare at his brother. “He Knows I Do Not Care For Those Water Sausages.”

With Sans acting like this, you found it hard to be intimidated by him right now.And because of this, you didn’t think anything of picking one of the water sausages up to poke his sharp teeth with. “This is all I have in way of monster food. I did just tell you that I didn’t expect to have guests. I don’t have company over that I often either. And since Papyrus said you needed monster food, and there’s a blizzard out, this is it.”

“Cease That At Once.” Sans growled, hand reaching up to pluck the water sausage from your grasp. With his other hand, he slowly took the plate and settled it on his lap, before settling the arm by his side with a faint wince. “If It Truly Is The Only Monster Food You Have, It Will Have To Do.”

You noticed that Sans’ cheekbones were dusted a light purple as he regarded the water sausage between his claws. 

Wait. 

When had he taken his gloves off? 

Sans ate the water sausages reluctantly, going through each one swiftly with each bite of his fangs. When he was done, he held the plate out to you, and you took it, setting it back down onto the coffee table.

You weren't expecting Sans to say anything more to you, so when he did, it was a surprise.

"Do You Ordinarily Leave Your Dishes Out?" Sans demanded.

"I have a dishwasher." You told the monster. "I can put it there later."

It was kind of funny to see how scandalized Sans was over leaving a single dirty dish out.

"I Do Not Understand You Humans And Being Content To Leave Dirty Dishes Lying About." The bravado and indignant air, along with the volume, began to lessen the longer Sans was awake. "Even in that coffee shop, that bin holds many dishes for over an hour. It's unsanitary!" Sans quieted as he sighed and carefully ran his hand over his wounded shoulder. He let out a hollow laugh. "Of course my magic has not had time to properly replenish itself." Sans turned his skull to his brother. "Papyrus! Get up, lazybones! I require your assistance with my shoulder-"

"Shh!" You'd managed to cut Sans off by going to stand in front of him, trying to prevent Sans from waking Papyrus up. "Are you in danger of dusting if you aren't healed right this instance? Papyrus looked dead on his feet earlier, more than he usually was when I see him at the cafe. You live in the same house, right? Shouldn't you know what Papyrus is like when he hasn't gotten enough sleep?" Presumptuous of you, but your tall monster friend did seem very exhausted earlier.

Sans frowned at you before he shook his head. "This can't wait." Sans uncovered eye light rested on you briefly. "Though I admit that I am incapable of waking Papyrus up on my own." One of Sans' hands gingerly brushed across his shoulder. "I don't want to move my shoulder too much. Or use magic unnecessarily." Sans hesitated but settled back on the pile of blankets and pillows with a sigh. "Since I do not have enough magic at present to heal myself, I need Papyrus to see to the shoulder blade. I can...feel that it is very...brittle, and in danger of piecing off into dust if I move it too far in any direction."  


"...do I just shake his shoulder or something?" You asked, wincing over the memory of seeing the cracked bone of the monster's shoulder.

"Shove him off the couch." Sans deadpanned. "That works well enough."

Appalled by the very though, you tried to face Papyrus, and moved to the side of the couch where his skull was still face down in the couch’s cushion. You eventually settle on patting Papyrus'  shoulder, and when that does absolutely nothing, you try giving his shoulder a light shove.

"Papyrus sleeps like a rock." Sans said tartly. "Only actual danger might wake him. A good jolt will do the trick otherwise. Why do you think I suggested that you to shove him off the couch?"

Ignoring Sans, you went to shove at Papyrus' gangly limbs until you were able to turn him over. 

Papyrus issued out a faint sound of protest before going inert on his back, jaw bone slightly slack as the tall monster continued to sleep.   


“Are You Just Going To Ignore My Advice?” Sans demanded. 

“I’m not shoving your brother onto the floor.” You told Sans without looking at him. “That would be rude of me.” You reached over to give Papyrus' shoulder another firm shake, only for one of his bony hands to wrap around your wrist.

Oh. 

Had Papyrus already woken up?

You gasped when you felt a heavy sensation in your chest, Papyrus' hand letting go of your wrist. You ended up falling backward with what felt like an invisible tug, right onto the pile of blankets and pillows alongside Sans.

"Don't move." Sans all but ordered, as he painfully turned himself around to face the couch. 

You might have gotten up automatically had you not felt that strange heavy pressure that made it difficult to sit up. So, you looked over to see what had the short monster so on edge and-

A blur launched past you, the sound of bones clacking together along with a pained groan from Sans and a low growl from Papyrus.

"YOU STUPID MONGREL!" Sans snapped, his voice suddenly loud and clipped as he shoved at his brother. Sans returned the growl even as Papyrus' sharp claws barely missed him as the smaller monster rolled out of the way. "WAKE UP! WE ARE GUESTS IN YOUR HUMAN'S HOME! DO NOT TRY MY PATIENCE WITH YOUR-" Sans let out a hiss as Papyrus' fangs sank into the pillow behind him, barely avoiding his injured shoulder. "PAPYRUS! IT'S SAFE!"

The heavy sensation left you and you gasped as Sans was suddenly tossed a short distance from next to you. At the way Papyrus skull swung toward you, his left socket empty with a faint glow from the squinting right, you squeezed your eyes shut. Maybe you were dreaming? You don't think you'd ever seen Papyrus with such a blank expression. Sleepy, yes, but never eerily empty. You certainly don't remember seeing him bare his sharp fangs like that, and until now, you hadn't been able to picture him standing up to his brother in any capacity.

"Papy..." Sans sounded like that toss had hurt him, his voice out of breath and agonized. Likely his shoulder had been the casualty of the fall, which you hoped wasn't turning to dust because of the jarring motion Sans had been forced to endure.

Why had Papyrus...?

You froze in place when a weight settled over you, a nervous little 'what the hell' giggle escaping you as you felt something bony nuzzle along the side of your neck. When you felt brave enough to do so, you opened you eyes and swallowed down a scream over how close Papyrus' empty sockets were to you. "P-Papyrus?" You ventured, keeping perfectly still as Papyrus stared at you before leaning in close to nuzzle his nasal ridge against your neck again. Was he even awake? You hadn't seen any eye lights and-

Sharp fangs gently grazed your skin.

Whoa.

"Hey, stop that." You unthinkingly held your hands up to press to Papyrus skull, fingers settling against his teeth to give him a gentle shove. "Wake up, Papyrus."

The tall monster's blank sockets continued to stare at you, but after moment, Papyrus merely nuzzled against your hands.

"YOU REALLY ARE A MONGREL WHEN YOU ARE MORE THAN HALF ASLEEP. " Sans was back, and he slapped a hand over Papyrus' damaged socket, and sent a pulse of magic through it. "WAKE UP THIS INSTANT AND BEHAVE YOURSELF."

You hastily dropped your hands as Papyrus' skull jerked back at whatever magic Sans had used. 

Thankfully, the purple eye light appeared in the tall monster's good socket. 

"bro? what..." Papyrus sounded lost as he looked at Sans, not making a move until the smaller monster moved his hand away from his damaged socket. "why are you-"

"I AM UP BECUASE YOU DECIDED TO ACT INSTINCTUALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS." Sans stiffly half walked, half limped down the hall toward the bathroom. "AFTER YOU HAVE APOLOGIZED, COME JOIN ME. I REQUIRE ASSISTANCE WITH MY SHOUKDER, AFTER YOU DECIDED I WAS A THREAT TO YOUR HUMAN AND THREW ME."

You could tell that Papyrus was still waking up because he still looked very lost. At least until he looked down and saw the way he was resting over you, his legs on either side if yours, his arms by your head and his skull just a bit too close to your face. You honestly didn't anticipate that deep purple to dust across Papyrus' cheekbones as a mortified look came over his features.

"s-sorry." Papyrus mumbled, as more of his skull took on a purplish tint.

To your surprise, Papyrus suddenly vanished, as if he had never been there.

Sans could be heard scolding Papyrus from the bathroom.

"BROTHER! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT USING YOUR SHORTCUTS FOR SUCH CLOSE DISTANCES."

There was a mumbled response from Papyrus.

"AND YOU APOLOGIZED PROPERLY?" There was a pause before Sans continued on. "THAT ISNT GOOD ENOUGH. JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE DATE MATES DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD JUST KISS THEM LIKE THAT OUT OF THE BLUE."

Wait.

When did Papyrus kiss you? It wasn't like he had lips or-

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Those nuzzles from before.

Were those kisses?

You seized a pillow from near where you lay and let out a very loud, half silent scream into it. To think that skeleton monsters nuzzled to kiss...you were dying a little on the inside it was so adorable.

But...why had Papyrus kissed you? 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU AREN'T DATE MATES?" Sans let out an exasperated growl. "IT SEEMS I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO ASSIST YOU, BROTHER, AS YOU ARE WOEFULLY LACKING IN TACT TO SECURE THEM AS YOUR DATE MATE AFTER ALL THIS TIME."

"sans, bro, that's not..." Papyrus' voice was raised, but Sans' louder voice overrode it.

"LUCKILY FOR YOU, I HAVE MEMORIZED THE DATING GUIDE BOOK AND WILL ASSIST YOU IN WOOING THIS HUMAN."

Papyrus let out some kind of splutter.

"YOU'RE RIGHT, IT SEEMS I WILL HAVE TO OVERSEE THINGS TO MAKE SURE IT IS GOING WELL."

Papyrus let out a soft groan of protest.

Bemused, you watched Sans reenter the living room, Papyrus trialing along behind him, after having secured his hoodie to in order to drag the hood over his head to hide his flushing skull.

"HUMAN!" Sans barked, crossing his arms. 

You supposed Papyrus must have healed Sans' shoulder, but you were sidetracked by the shorter monster's next words.

"I WILL COACH YOU IN THE WAYS OF HOW TO DATE A MONSTER, HUMAN, SO THAT MY BROTHER WILL SEE HOW TO GO ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP THE PROPER WAY."

Sans was going to do _what_ now?

Papyrus covered his face with his hands and groaned again. 

Well, it seemed like embarrassing one's siblings seemed to be the same for monsters and humans.

The blizzard continued to rage outside, and there you were, stuck in your apartment with one self-conscious monster, and one whose ego had inflated ten-fold in the past five minutes. And when Sans stiffly yet proudly puffed up his chest at his apparently brilliant plan, you couldn't help start to laugh.

What even was your life right now?

"BROTHER, I THINK YOUR HUMAN MAY BE BROKEN." Sans informed Papyrus solemnly. "DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT."

You laughed a little harder. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus might have put in alittle more intent than planned when healing Sans' shoulder up a bit, so Sans is a little loopy right now from the healing magic and the drugs he had been given earlier.
> 
> Edit:  
>  [Swapfell Papyrus doodles for fic](https://absent-enigma.tumblr.com/%5Bpost/628647167915081728/just-some-doodles-as-im-working-on-caffeine%5D)  
> (First time trying to put a link here-seems to at least link to my tumblr). If I can figure out how to troubleshoot it, I will fix it later.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans certainly gets focused when he gets serious about a topic, even if it is about something he only knows about in a purely theoretical sense. Poor Papyrus. It's a little angst for him too becuase Sans doesn't act...as exuberant and full of life as much anymore.

“How can you expect to be a good-date mate if you cannot even figure out why the human is broken?” Sans demanded of his brother as Papyrus’ skull ducked deeper beneath his fluffy hood. 

“I-I’m fine.” You managed to tell the smaller monster, as you forced yourself to stop laughing. But you struggled to contain it as Sans’ un-bandaged socket focused on you, the eye light bright and slightly bigger than you remember it being before. 

“...If you say so, human.” Sans didn’t sound convinced as he looked at you like he was anticipating you to go into another laughing fit.

”I just...I didn’t know that monsters had a dating guide book?” You covered your mouth with a hand to stifle another giggle over the scandalized look Sans wore.

”Unbelievable.” Sans deadpanned, as he looked between you and Papyrus. “No wonder nothing had happened between the two of you with all of your cluelessness in the ways of becoming date-mates.”

”sans, stop.” Papyrus’ voice was strained as it issued out from the hood.

“First Step For Becoming Date-Mates.” Sans voice overrode Papyrus’. “You Must Show Your Interest And Let Your Intended Date-Mate Know Of This Interest.” Sans shot a look his brother’s way. “Ordinarily, It Is Easier For Monsters like Papyrus And Myself To Show Such An Interest. However, We Find That It Is Difficult To Being Open With Our Souls, Due To How We Grew Up. However, To Become Date-Mates, An Openness Of The Soul And Communication Is Key.”

“sans...” Papyrus quietly pleaded. “stop, this isn’t what is going on-“

”Nonsense.” Sans puffed up, pointing a finger a little to the left of his brother. “I Am Doing This For Your Own Good.” With an expressionless look crossing his skull, Sans stepped over to stand in front of you, his posture rigid with his arms behind his back. The reason for this became clear when you saw a slight coloring of purple across Sans cheekbones as he raised his voice to its usual loud tone.

“NOW THEN, ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION, BROTHER? YOU MUST BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT WITH YOUR INTENDED DATE-MATE AS YOU TELL THEM OF YOUR INTEREST. OBSERVE.”

You bit your lip, struggling to reign in your laughter.

”HUMAN! I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT I WISH TO ENGAGE IN BEING YOUR DATE-MATE. I ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH YOU IN THE COFFEE SHOP AND SPEAKING WITH YOU OVER THE PHONE, AND WOULD LIKE THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW YOU BETTER AS MORE THAN FRIENDS.” Sans adjusted his pose, practically preening as he brought a hand to his chest. “I AM A FINE SPECIMEN OF A MONSTER AND CAN PROTECT YOU IN THE FACE OF ANY DANGERS THAT MAY BEFALL YOU AS WE SPEND MORE TIME TOGETHER.”

This time, it wasn’t only Papyrus who was embarrassed. You could feel your own face heating up with just how earnest Sans was being, and just how pleased with himself he looked. You shot a glance over to Papyrus, and saw that Papyrus had his hands pressed to his face beneath the hood, his tall frame quivering as he let out another of those soft ‘nyeh’s.

”PAPYRUS!” Sans skull turned to take in his brother. “DO NOT HIDE IN YOUR HOOD LIKE A COWARD! YOU MUST BE FIRM IN YOUR AFFECTIONS AND INTENTIONS IF YOU ARE EVER TO SECURE A DATE-MATE.” Sans turned back to you, a sharp grin suddenly appearing. “NOW, WHEN YOU HAVE SECURED YOUR DATE-MATE’S ATTENTION’S, YOU MUST MAKE CONTACT.”

You saw Papyrus peer from between his fingers, the soft purple glow visible. You were then distracted by Sans suddenly being in your immediate space as he actually reached out and took your hand in his own.

Um...okay...?

”IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE MUCH. JUST SOMETHING TO SHOW THAT YOUR WORDS ARE GENUINE.” Without warning, Sans brought your hand up and pressed his teeth lightly against the back of your hand.

Sans...just kissed your hand?

Sort of.

You weren’t sure what else Sans had planned, because Papyrus was suddenly there as he wrapped his arms around his brother’s middle and tugged him away from you.

”and that’s where i’m putting my foot down, bro.” Papyrus sighed, arms tight around Sans. “you’re not acting like yourself...”

“I Blame Whatever Drug You Gave Me Last Night, And The Effects Of Your Healing Magic.” Sans attempted to get out of Papyrus’ hold, his voice a grumble now. “And don’t think I won’t punish you for drugging me while I was incapacitated.”

Wait.

When had Papyrus done that? Why would he have done that to his own brother?

“i did what needed to be done.” Papyrus dryly stated. “if i hadn’t, you would have been doing what you are now while you were still badly wounded.” 

“I Am fibe.” Sans growled. He paused, uncovered left eye light flickering in its socket. “I Feel Fine.”

“uh huh. sure you are.” Papyrus agreed. “so perfectly fine that you are ready to tell me how to date step by step, despite the fact that you’ve never been on one. you haven’t even shown interest in someone. you went straight into the royal guard and never looked back.”

You saw the flush of color rise on Sans’ cheek bones as he blustered with his response.

”I WAS ONLY BRINGING UP THE GUIDE BOOK BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN GOING ABOUT THINGS THE PROPER WAY.” Sans finally freed himself from his brother’s grasp and turned to face him. 

Papyrus just sighed, covered his good socket with a hand, and didn't say a word.

”We’re just friends. Not, well, date-mates and-“

“THAT IS BECAUSE YOU HUMANS ARE NOT AS IN TUNE WITH YOUR SOULS AS MONSTERS ARE.” Sans waved your words off as his voice raised yet again.

You dearly hoped that your neighbors weren’t going to be bothered by the volume of Sans’ voice, because he was still talking. With great enthusiasm compared to the usually apathetic, dead inside expression.

“-AND BECAUSE MONSTERS ARE BETTER AT READING SOULS NEAR THEM, I CAN SENSE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING MORE IN MY BROTHER’S SOUL NOW THAT HE IS HERE WITH YOU-“ Sans let out a startled growl as Papyrus descended on him and covered his fangs with both hands.

“stop right now.” Papyrus hissed at Sans. “you really should be resting right now. you never realize how weird you act while on a healing high and sedatives.”

You started to shake a little in suppressed laughter at the sight of Sans letting out a muffled triumphant laugh.

”SO YOU ADMIT YOUR GUILT!” Sans grinned sharply once he shoved his brother’s hands away and pointed a finger at Papyrus, where the tip jabbed the taller monster’s nasal cavity. “THAT YOU DID DRUG ME LAST NIGHT.”

“only 'cause you would have hurt yourself more and you know it.“ Papyrus returned, posture relaxed.

“THAT IS NOTHING BUT TRIVIAL TIDBITS IN THE FACE OF THE ADMISSION OF SEDATING ME.” Sans waved his other hand gingerly, so as to not disturb his healing shoulder blade. His finger jabbed against Papyrus again, the sharp toothed grin still wide, with an edge of danger. “DRUGGING THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD IS A DANGEROUS MATTER, BROTHER. ALMOST TREASONOUS, SOME MIGHT SAY.” 

“not when we aren’t home, bro.” Papyrus’ voice was quiet as he side glanced at you. He reached out and grasped Sans’ wrist to prevent that sharp tipped bony finger from prodding him a third time. “guess we’re having that talk now.”

”WHAT TALK IS THIS?” Sans asked, glancing between you and his brother with a frown overtaking the grin. “YOU HAVE AGREED TO AN EXPLANATION OF SORTS?”

“i made a...promise.” Papyrus said simply.

You watched as Sans‘ demeanor changed instantly, going from boastful and sure of himself to something much more defensive, yet weary from the exhaustion that slipped across his face. You were in no way an expert to reading the facial expressions of skeleton monsters but Sans really looked resigned as he finally let out a sigh as he spoke in a very soft voice.

”Of course you would make a rarely given promise.” The smaller monster crossed his arms, but there was no assertive stance that came with it. “I trust it was for a good reason?”

“yes. i didn’t want you taken to a hospital despite how badly hurt you were. i can’t keep it secret of why, when y/n listened to me and didn’t send your coccyx off to the hospital the moment you showed up on their doorstep." Papyrus said firmly.

You noticed that Sans was swaying a little on his feet. Despite that likely not being a good sign, you are relieved that he had stopped trying to talk about proper dating techniques and all that. You and Papyrus were just friends. Yes, he was nice. Yes, you enjoyed spending time with Papyrus, but…it had never crossed your mind to try and date him. You hadn’t spent all that much time with Papyrus outside of meeting up at _Caffeine Fixation_ and occasionally running into him outside of the shop. 

...come to think of it, you actually texted Papyrus and spoke to him on the phone more often, so in a way you were spending time with Papyrus quite a lot, despite not being in the same place. In fact…this was the first time Papyrus had even been over to your apartment. But friends talked over the phone and hung out at each other's homes too...so Sans was just reading into it too much. You looked between the brothers, and then, you decided to ask something, just to be sure. “Papyrus?" You saw the eye light focus on you. “Is Sans out of danger injury-wise? I don’t want you to talk about anything if you need to make sure he is-“

“HUMAN.” Sans interrupted you yet again. “WHILE I AM NOT AT FULL HEALTH, I AM NO LONGER IN DANGER OF DUSTING. SO THE EXPLANATION MY BROTHER PROMISED DOES NOT NEED TO BE DELAYED. I CAN ATTEST TO HIS WORDS WITH MY OWN IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.”

“so long as you take it easy, bro.” Papyrus said dryly. “don’t want you to overexert yourself.“

“MY HEALTH IS PERFECTLY STABLE AT PRESENT.” Sans bared his fangs. “AND PROMISE OR NOT, YOU WILL NOT PREVENT ME FROM MAKING CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE FOLLOWING PROPER DATING PROTOCOLS.”

Papyrus’ cheekbones dusted a faint purple again while you sighed.

Apparently, Sans _hadn’t_ completely forgotten about his dating guide book.

Between one breath and the next, Sans abruptly keeled over.

Before you could even realize what had happened, Papyrus had moved forward and was already kneeling, ready to catch the smaller monster.

“A Mere Setback.” Sans growled lowly. “I Am Perfectly All Right.”

”of course you are, m’lord.” Papyrus sounded far too agreeable.

“Don’t Call Me That.” Sans said immediately. 

“then don’t act as though you can’t take it easy now and again, compared to our home.” Papyrus muttered.

You are very confused watching this exchange. 

Did this all have to do with why Papyrus didn’t want Sans going to a hospital?

“I thought you didn’t want us to say anything that might reveal us.” Sans murmured as Papyrus picked him up and settled him on the couch, wrapping blankets around him.

It was kind of cute to see, though you could see that Papyrus was trying to limit his brother’s movements to prevent him from falling over again.

Or moving in general.

Sans sighed as Papyrus slipped a pillow beneath his skull. “I hope you know what you are doing.” 

“i don’t think we can keep it quiet forever.” Papyrus said. “there’s already enough discrepancies that are adding up.” 

“…I suppose there is that.” Sans said after a moment, before a troubled expression surfaced. “I believe, brother, that I may have made the discovery of our existence inevitable with the _...incident,_ in the alley.”

“There were cops and monsters at an alley earlier that I passed by.” You said as you looked at Papyrus. “I told you about that before. How I didn’t want to check because I was worried that I could get hurt.”

Papyrus turned his skull to look at Sans, and seemed to be looking at...something. Whatever Papyrus saw, his expression darkened.

“I Did What I Believed Needed To Be Done.” The smaller skeleton in his many blanket burrito met his brother’s eye light. “My Only Regret Is Foolishly Neglecting My Strict Training Regime and Allowing Myself To Be In Such A State.”

Before you could even begin to feel bad for not calling the cops to the alley sooner, Papyrus sighed.

”i thought i sensed something wrong before y/n contacted me. and after we spoke.” Papyrus eyed Sans, eye light growing brighter as the same dark expression remained. “your lv went up.”

”Yes.” Sans confirmed, before looking away, his skull sinking into the pillow. “i was unable to pull any of the humans into an encounter, as I had to be certain that the dog monster they were harassing escaped first.”

”There are still hate crimes going on?” You bristled, crossing your arms. “I can’t believe that. No monster that has ever supposedly committed a crime was ever guilty.” Sighing, you looked toward the living room window. “I guess I can’t be surprised. There’s always going to be someone who isn’t happy with how easily the monsters integrated with the rest of the world.”

“so, with that, i guess i ought to start explaining some things to you.” Papyrus said, settling down on the other end of the couch.

You silently sat down on a chair nearby, not sure what you were about to hear.

Surely there was a perfectly good explanation for not taking someone so terribly injured to a hospital for medical assistance?

“might as well get the biggest secret outta the way.” Papyrus sighed as he ran a hand over his skull, knocking his fluffy hood off. “sans and i can’t draw attention to ourselves because we aren’t...we aren’t from this world.” Papyrus voice nearly tumbled over words as if he wanted to get them out before he could stop himself.” we come from an alternate version of this place. a separate timeline, an alternate universe, where the world is crueler, and monsters are still trapped underground. we can’t go to a hospital, because we are different from the monsters on the surface here. our lv is too high, and we...we look too similar to some skeleton monsters that we caught sight of when we first appeared in this world.”

Whatever you expected to hear, that certainly wasn’t it. Similarly, you saw that Sans’ teeth were parted, his eye light gone, as if he hadn’t expected them either.

“don’t worry about him.” Papyrus leaned over the blankets and reached out with a hand to adjust the pillow. “sans just passed out.”

Oh.

You sat there quietly for a moment, only vaguely aware of Papyrus watching you. Then, his words sank in, and you startled the hell out of the tall monster by letting out a sharp exhalation.

”What?!”

Poor Papyrus’ eye light shrank into a pinpoint as he began to fidget with his hoodie. His fangs twitched in something of a weak smile. ”Too much?”

You were embarrassed to admit that you thought you might be in the presence of a couple crazy monsters. You became a little light headed. Who the heck said they were from another world with such sincerity? You could see why Papyrus and Sans kept something like that quiet but there was no way...there was no way someone could be from another world yet from another timeline of the same exact place. There was magic, yes, but surely that didn’t extend to alternate timelines? Alternate _universes._

”y/n?” There was some movement from nearby, as a hand lightly rested on your shoulder. “oh stars, i should have started with a smaller reveal. what’s wrong? your soul feels...it’s erratic for some reason...” Papyrus’ voice faded away from immediate hearing as white noise began to take its place.

You could say with upmost certainty that you’d never fainted before in your life, but you supposed there was a first for everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt that reacting excited/fascinated over alternate universe stuff wouldn't be practical as an initial reaction. More confusion, does not compute or omg they're crazy-there's no way that is true seemed more fitting.
> 
> An FYI: I'm going to take a short break from posting this upcoming weekend to work on the outline of this fic, since it’s veered far off course from the original one. I’m leaning toward doing another Papyrus pov chapter sooner than planned, just to have him fret over the suddenly unconscious reader, and then to get his perspective as he explains things in more detail. (I know three povs shifting around can be jarring-I‘ve actually read a book where there were 5-6 povs). I guess it depends on what you all would be interested in reading- I’m perfectly fine with picking up the next chapter from the reader's pov too.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus is having a terrible, no good, very bad day. And it gets worse before it gets better. (1st pov)

There was an uncomfortable lurch of panic in my soul when I looked down at y/n and found that they were now unconscious. My hand hovered over one of their shoulders before I took a step back. I instantly regretted not saying only a part of what needed to be said. The quick explanation of where Sans and I were actually from had clearly been too much to take in all at once. 

How else did I expect someone to take such impossible news?

Even Sans, when we had been home in the underground, had reacted in an incredulous way over the idea of alternate universes. He always did scoff at the thought, especially when a timeline ended up providing me an opportunity to open up to him about it. However, it was only this timeline, specifically _in_ an alternate universe, that Sans believed me fully. It had helped that he saw actual proof around him of the surface world, and what appeared to be our doppelgängers.

But for a human?

A human who hadn’t spent their entire life underground, only to be told something so outrageous without any preamble?

It had been a big oversight on my part.

I looked back down at y/n and let out a slow sigh. At least they had been sitting down before they passed out. I grimaced a little at that but honestly, it was a fair reaction to something they had little to no experience with. For me, alternate universes and the science of it all was old news to me, so it followed that it hadn’t crossed my mind right away over how crazy it would sound to an outsider. Alone time with my thoughts was not what I intended but it worked out in that very moment. The silence would give me ample time to figure out how to better explain myself without y/n thinking that my brother and I were insane or delusional.

Retrieving a blanket and pillow from the pile on the floor, I made sure that the human was comfortable on the chair before draping the blanket over their lap and tucking the pillow behind their head. I couldn’t help but smile a little, because it reminded me of the many times Sans would do something similar for me when I was out cold or listless from smoking my medicine. I felt that y/n would be out for some time, if my own fainting spells were anything to go by. I assumed they were similar for both humans and monsters.

”i shouldn’t have said all that.” I mumbled to myself, phalanges gently arranging the pillow and blanket here and there so that y/n didn’t look too uncomfortable. If I weren’t such a coward about it, I would have picked y/n up and carried them to their room. But I refrained, not wanting to see if there would be a negative reaction to being in my arms if y/n woke up unexpectedly. I didn't believe that my soul could handle any negativity at present. Nor did I trust myself right now with carrying y/n anywhere after that embarrassing, rather possessive reaction I'd had while half asleep.

“heh...” I still couldn’t believe the way I acted out like that. Nor how I had even snapped at my brother, despite him not being a threat to y/n, even if he was cold and distant most times they crossed paths in _Caffeine Fixation_. Sighing, I decided that I needed to distract myself, so that I didn’t keep my gaze lingering on y/n. I moved my attentions to my brother, after fussing with the blanket one last time, and reassuring myself that y/n would be all right once they slept off the shock.

It was...odd, to see Sans asleep like this. It had been unnerving when I’d first come upon him injured in this apartment before healing him. It just wasn’t like him. Sans would normally be loud and boisterous and full of life, even if that enthusiasm was no longer joyful. It was more muted. It made my soul happy to see Sans so sure of himself earlier, even if it had been about that dating manual. Years and years had gone may since I’d seen such a genuine smile from my brother.

Right now?

Sans was definitely sleeping because of the healing magic I had given him. I wasn’t the best healer, so it made me feel useful for once that my magic had actually helped Sans this time. A check of his HP proved that I must have put a lot of intent behind my healing, because this was the most I’d ever been able to alleviate my brother’s pain, and helped to mend his injuries.

But in return?

I could feel the exhaustion weighing down my body, all of my bones experiencing a deep ache, alongside the steady constant pain of my bad socket. If I let it go untreated, I would be in for another painful night tonight with little to no sleep. So as much as I loathed the idea of allowing my senses to be dulled, I retrieved one of my medicinal joint from my pocket, and lit it with the lighter in the same pocket. Allowing my pain to fade into the background with each drag, I felt relieved as I soon became numb to the constant agony of my socket. Biting the joint between my fangs, I began to pace, trying to think but finding my thoughts clouded by the haze of the strong pain reliever.

When that didn’t help, I sat myself down onto the end of the couch, careful to not disturb Sans' rest. I picked up the remote control for the TV, and spent a little time changing the channels, before I paused on a breaking news report. Despite the human authorities and monster guards swarming the area that was blocked off, I recognized the area.

It was the alley from last night.

The one that had flashing lights outside of it.

I managed to take in the important bits of information and what I heard left me very...unsettled. And as much as I wanted to let my brother sleep and heal, I couldn’t ignore the words that were being spoken of on the TV.

Multiple homicide.

No survivors.

That clashed with what Sans had told me.

Reluctantly, I leaned over and lifted Sans. I made sure to wrap him gently in a blanket, knowing that he was likely to get cross for being woken unexpectedly. If he slept, Sans slept, and woe to anyone who woke him from his slumber without an offering of coffee. I risked it now, because of his still-healing injuries, and settled my now blanket wrapped brother onto my lap, resting his skull against my shoulder. I could hear when Sans woke, because he let out a sleepy grumble. The sound quieted into silence when Sans finally sensed my dark mood.

With a sigh that slipped out, Sans sagged against me, once he noted that I was suddenly upset with him.

“you can go back to sleep once you clear something up for me.” I jerked my skull toward the TV, saying nothing more. I waited patiently for Sans to get the gist of the news, before I heard him sigh again and go limp against me this time. I felt a pang of sadness when I realized that Sans was attempting to make himself nonthreatening to me, as if we didn’t both already know how it felt to gain LV unexpectedly.

“I May Have Been Wounded But You Know That I Have Perfect Control Over My Own Attacks.” Sans said after the news reporter had switched to someone else on the scene. “I Only Killed Two Of Those Humans At Most. The Others Only Had Some Injuries When I Left The Scene. The Remainder Ought To Have Been Able To Leave Despite Those Injuries.”

“the blizzard didn’t kill those other humans.” I wanted to believe my brother but I had to be certain of what transpired. I needed to know how to proceed. “what did, if not you? the news mentioned that it was being treated as multiple homicide. the scene is described as messy. There is even speculation over whether or not magic was involved, but confirmation has to wait until the bodies are taken in for autopsies."

“I Swear On My Honor As Captain Of The Royal Guard That I Did Not Kill The Other Humans.” Sans said, skull angled so that his eye lights could fix on my single one. “My LV Would Have Risen Much Higher Than It Did. With Their Intent, I Would Not Be Surprised If Those Humans That Remained Had A LV Of 5 Or Over Each.” 

At Sans’ words, palpable relief washed over me. I believed my brother completely, as I knew that Sans would never do anything to tarnish his reputation as captain. But I had wanted to be certain, so as to not have that lingering doubt hang over my skull. Sans and I knew that LV could make a monster continue to look for more EXP. I subconsciously held Sans closer to me in his blanket burrito. “what killed those humans then? other humans aren’t likely to have been out in this kind of weather. but the monsters of this universe seem too peaceful to go out of their way in a blizzard to get exp.”

“We Would Have Better Knowledge Of What Happened If We Could See The Wounds That Were Made After My Own.” Sans said, his tone indicating to me that he was thinking upon a solution.

“I’m not up for a shortcut.” I said, subconsciously cringing over the expected backlash, even though there was no need for it in this universe. There was no one spying on us. No one listening in and looking for weaknesses to exploit. No reason for Sans to belittle me over avoiding using magic when I wasn’t up for it. “used up a lotta magic healing you.”

”If That Is The Case, Then See If There Are Any Cameras Nearby To Hack In To.” Sans said. “Even If You Never Said Anything, I Have A Feeling All The Camera Malfunctions And Such Were Your Doing. Alphys Always Did Say That It Drove Undyne Mad, Being Unable To Track Down The Perpetrator Through Her Online Networks.”

I knew there was going to be talk about _that_ at a later time. But right now, we both knew that looking into the deaths of the humans needed to be taken care of first. We had to know if the incident would draw attention to us, and how to proceed, depending on the information gathered.

Ultimately, it would come down to whether we stayed or left the city altogether and kept to ourselves in the home we'd made in the middle of nowhere.

It was...familiar, breaking past firewalls and such. I could do as Sans asked with ease of someone who knew all the tricks. I produced my phone from a pocket, glad that it was the monster variety that I’d had in our underground. It had all the programming I needed, and all the protection against any potential hacking.

“here’s hoping no one will catch me poking around.” I said aloud, as I tapped in a few commands before linking my phone into the city’s security grid. It was far too easy, as it didn’t have the layers upon layers of security that the network in our underground had. It made snooping around a lot less dangerous if no one was actively looking for you and your location. “this universe doesn’t have as difficult code to work through than back home. undyne’s system was pretty good but not enough to keep me out.”

“And There You Go Incriminating Yourself.” Sans heaved a put-upon sigh. “Stars, This Past Year You Have Been Less Careful With Your Words. I’m So Glad I Do Not Have To Arrest You. That Would Be Far Too Much, Considering I’d Be The One To Punish You. And You Know What Happens To Those Who Break The Laws.” Sans grumbled crossly as I rested my phone on top of his skull. “And Before You Say Anything About It, We Can Protect Your Human If Need Be. But Try To Get A Visual Before The Scene Is Disturbed Too Much. At This Point, Things Should Already Be Wrapping Up.”

I wasn’t worried about y/n’s safety just yet. I was more concerned with thinking about what could have been had Sans and I not gotten out of our universe when we had. And I hoped to never go back. Only death awaited me, had there been no reset. Death awaited Sans too, unless me short cutting away with him counted as kidnapping the royal guard’s captain.

Either option was unsettling, but more so the second, because Sans was correct in saying that he would be the one to met out the punishment. 

Because I couldn’t Judge myself.

Not that I could recall if he remembered that was my actual job in our underground. Many timelines tangled together in my mind, so it was hell trying to keep them all straight, or remember what information had been given to my brother in this current one. Sometimes, Sans would learn that I was the Judge. Other times, he would stumble upon me as I dealt with a monster who’d violated one of Queen Toriel’s edicts. Or when a human had fallen made it all the way to Judgement Hall, and failed to pass muster.

I wasn’t sure what Sans would think about the fact that I had so thoroughly broken almost all of the laws that had been set in stone for decades upon decades.

It was part of the reason why I’d been so frantic to get out.

To go _anywhere_ but our home universe.

My hands stilled on my phone.

I had finally been caught tampering with the cameras and other forms of communication. Not to mention, it had been discovered that I was spreading dissent amongst the populace in the hopes of getting someone, anyone, to overthrow Toriel’s reign. It was only luck that I had warning before all hell descended on me. What should have killed me only wounded, as why dust someone you wanted to publicly execute? I barely managed to get away with time to locate Sans before the rest of the royal guard could catch up to me. And to think, he’d been locked in a battle over some dispute that had more than likely involved me...

”Papyrus?”

Sans’ voice sounded like it was coming from far away despite him being right in front of me.

”You’ve Been Quiet For Ten Minutes.”

”no visuals available.” I managed to force out, dismissing uncomfortable memories. I took a deep, rather unnecessary breath and let it out slowly.

We were safe.

No one was trying to dust us, apart from some prejudiced humans, some of which were no longer a threat.

There was no Toriel coldly demanding things of me and my brother.

No royal guard chasing after me, to bring me to 'justice'.

There was no uncomfortable drain on my measly amount of HP in an attempt to subdue me.

I was fine, for the most part.

Alive.

Sans was alive, and he would eventually recuperate from his newest wounds.

We were both safe.

I kept the mantra up in the back of my mind as I switched my focus to the current problem.

The dead humans in the alley.

“there are no cameras facing the alley in an area that would show me anything useful.” My attention was drawn to Sans when he twisted within his blanket to stare hard at me. I knew that look, and responded accordingly. “if i try to shortcut now, i’d be out like a light upon arrival, leaving me vulnerable, so-“ My words were cut off with a grunt over the sensation of Sans slapping one of his now freed hands over my sternum. Healing magic washed over me, helping along the medicinal drugs with temporarily completely washing away my constant pain.

“GO NOW, MONGREL, AND GATHER INTEL.” Sans had his captain’s voice now. Cold and firm in that raised tone of his. It was a wonder he didn’t wake y/n. “I EXPECT A FULL REPORT ON YOUR RETURN.”

“right away, m’lord.” I said with a mumble, even as my shoulders slumped and I cracked a sad smile. I vanished from view before Sans had a chance to correct me, and reappeared on top of one of the buildings that overlooked the alley. Keeping still for only a moment to make sure there were no flare ups of magic in response to my own, I trudged through the snow that had begun to pile up, not concerned that my tracks would be visible in a few minutes.

The blizzard was still raging, causing a near white-out, which made my task much more difficult. Sans better appreciate me doing this for him, when I could be nice and warm back in the apartment with him and y/n.

Much to my surprise, I didn’t have to pick the lock of the door that led into the building. I wouldn’t have wanted to risk using more magic right now, so that was a lucky break. If I had, I might have potentially drawn attention to myself. Even so, I made sure I keep my presence dampened, and slipped inside, out of the cold. Going through the stairwell was easiest to get where I was going, as there were no hidden cameras to see me or devices to pick up sound. Once I reached the second floor, I made my way through the rooms.

The silence would normally be calming to me, but with the nature of what I was doing, I was sent back to my time in the underground. When keeping quiet and staying out of sight was the best way to stay alive. At the thought, I further hid my presence as I moved from room to room, avoiding cameras by using the tiniest amounts of blue magic to hold a camera briefly in place. 

It took a few searches before I found a good vantage point, and hunkered down. I tugged my hood lower over my skull as I specifically allowed my eye light to dim, so as to not draw any attention to myself. I peered out the bottom of the window to look at the grisly scene below in the snowy alley. Keeping my mind away from speculation, I merely catalogued each of the injuries I could make out through the clothing, looking past humans and monster’s alike inspecting the dead humans. I could instantly tell which two humans Sans had ended up killing, as he had a rather specific way of dusting someone that involved going right for the soul. In this case, the humans had been stabbed in the chest, where I’d learned their hearts resided.

The rest of the humans in the alley?

They had been sloppily disposed of at first glance, but the longer I scrutinized the wounds, the more I felt discomfort over the de-ja-vu that washed over me. If I didn’t know any better, the wounds looked eerily consistent with the way the royal guard in my universe would finish dispatching lawbreakers once Sans had begun the execution.

It was unnerving to think that monsters of this universe could be capable of such cruelty, when most monsters I and my brother had met thus far were LV 1 with no EXP.

I would have to share my concerns with Sans on my return, because right now, I was getting the sense that I should not linger for much longer. It was as if there were invisible eyes on me, despite confirming that there was no one in the room with me, and none in the alley had noticed me. The feeling of being watched grew to the point that I felt I needed to take my leave. I had gleaned as much information as I could. Just as I began to prepare myself for a short cut, I froze in place in my crouched position when a voice spoke from out of nowhere.

“welp, i thought i sensed an unfamiliar magic.”

The footsteps stopped.

I clenched a hand, willing myself to be silent and fade into the background of the darkened room.

“gonna come out or are we gonna do this the hard way?“

I tugged my hood even lower over my skull at those words, and carefully shielded my presence further as Sans had taught me to. It was done so subtly that the other monster should have believed that I was leaving the building from elsewhere.

“hard way it is pal.” The other monster drawled, the sound of footsteps resuming.

I was soon able to see the outline of the monster once they entered the room, followed by the sight of eye lights scanning the darkened room.

Another skeleton monster.

I frowned. This monster...they looked like one of the skeletons that Sans and I had seen when we first appeared in this universe. How eerie it was, for me to see this monster up close. To see how the monster eerily resembled my brother in some ways. Very carefully, I finished locking my presence down completely, preparing myself for a short cut. No use sticking around when-

“skulking around in the dark is pretty suspicious, pal.”

Blue magic suddenly seized my soul.

Biting back a retort, I was far more disturbed by the fact that the other monster had managed to catch me. I was distinctly uncomfortable over the steady pressure of blue magic that was curled around my soul.

How?

When had the other monster...?

Just how rusty was I that I couldn’t even keep my presence hidden?

Lifting my skull slightly, my eye light sought out the other skeleton monster, and was met with a single glowing eye light of cyan and yellow flickering in the left socket. Despite the darkness of the room, I could see that the skeleton had their hand stretched out toward me.

The blue magic weighed heavier on my soul, along with the indescribable feeling of sins crawling down my spine, as if...as if I were being _Judged_.

It was...disturbingly close to what I could do, when my magic wasn’t going haywire from the damage to my socket. Though I only Judged when was ordered of me, whether it be monster or fallen human. And while I may not have used blue magic since appearing in this universe, I was no stranger to how it worked. Right now, I just had to be patient and wait for an opportunity to slip through the hold the other skeleton had on me. 

It was difficult, considering the monster was trying to check me now. Despite it being for good reason, I had nothing to defend myself with should this skeleton see my LV, despite me not having gained any EXP in this universe.

"got something to hide?” Another attempt at a check brushed up against my shields that I had thrown up earlier.

I firmly built up my magic further, to let the other monster know that I wouldn’t allow that check. The refusal caused the blue magic to ride heavier and heavier on my soul, my bones nearly rattling at the discomfort of the foreign magic around my soul. Panic set in as the other monster decided to approach me, their single eye light still glowing. It was only luck that the other monster seemed to see something in me that made the suspicion fade into what appeared to be worry.

Nothing was said.

I curled my hands against the floor, waiting for that opportunity to break the blue magic that held my soul. With the healing magic Sans had given me, I had enough left in me to free myself and shortcut away.

“...papyrus?”

Whatever I was expecting the other skeleton to say, it wasn’t that. Considering this was an alternate universe, I should have anticipated this, but it still caught me off guard.

“what happened to you?” The blue magic lessened its hold on my soul. “i just saw you ten minutes ago.” The eye light blazed brighter as the blue magic faded altogether. “W h o h u r t y o u?”

There was another brief touch of magic against my own, pressing harder to check me.

Again, I prevented the check.

Despite the worry the other monster suddenly felt toward me, I doubted it would last once the other monster realized I wasn’t the Papyrus they thought I was. So, I took advantage of the hesitation to block one more desperate check, before hastily using a shortcut to go back to y/n’s apartment. I collapsed on the floor immediately, bones rattling now as I half curled up, panic seeping in over being caught. The possibly of being separated from my brother.

”Papy?”

What was that skeleton monster doing hundreds of miles away from Mt. Ebott, where I had last caught sight of them? Was it because the alley had magic written all over it? Because the wounds I had seen did give me another sense of terrible de-ja-vu. 

“Papy!”

I shakily drew out a medicinal joint and lit it, continuing to shake and rattle as I stared up at the ceiling, my soul leaping erratically.

Close.

That had been far too close.

”Papy!” Hands gently grasped either side of my cheekbones and I found myself staring up into my brother’s eye lights as he loomed over me. “What happened?”

"drowning." I mumbled as I continued to smoke.

Sans stiffened up, his hands slowly letting go of my cheekbones. "Threat Level?"

"high down to moderate with the drugs." Leave it to my brother to get straight to the point after I said the word to indicate that I was dangerously close to losing control to my LV.

With some gentle prodding, I dragged myself over to the blankets and pillows on the floor. I didn’t even argue against Sans frantically bundling me up, even though there were spikes of irritation and growling, and some urges to attack had to be internally resisted so I didn't lash out. It took some time coming down from the mix of fear and fury to allow my brother to check my HP, especially so soon after an unfamiliar monster had tired to. I finished smoking the joint, this time letting Sans dispose of the stub of the joint. I twitched, fangs snapping together as Sans awkwardly pulled me close and rested my skull against his sternum. Like what he would do done for me when we were baby bones, and I was overwhelmed.

My good socket closed as my rattling came to an end, and I was able to get my LV under control. Once calm, I noticed that Sans was stiffly patting my shoulder through the blankets. I wasn’t sure of the time that went by, only that my pain and panic faded as I lie there with Sans awkwardly soothing me. 

“Are You With Me Now?” Sans eventually asked.

”yeah...” I mumbled.

"Threat Level?" Sans checked me again.

"low down to none."

”Good. It Has Been...Awhile Since Your LV did that." Sans said, moving away and letting go of my skull. "Are You Well Enough To Report Your Findings?"

"should be." I groaned as I rested my skull on a pillow and stared at the floor quietly.

”I Do Have To Ask....Why Were You Acting As Though You Were Being Chased By One Of The Royal Guard?” Sans added. The coldness from before was gone, replaced with concern.

“i didn’t find anything good at the scene of the crime.” I tugged my hand free of the blankets and drew out another joint to light it. “those humans were in bad shape, and the injuries were...hm...” I took a drag and let it out, watching the smoke swirl up. “it reminded me of when you and the rest of the royal guards attacked those you intended to dust, but with a few differences.”

“Did you find out anything else of note?” Sans asked quietly. He was likely still worried about the LV I'd just been dealing with.

“one of those skeleton monsters we saw before was there.” I stared up at the ceiling again, becoming further numb to the pain in my body that never really left me, no matter how much healing magic Sans gave to me. I sighed, letting more smoke out. I hated to think what could have happened had my body been in as much pain as it had been last night. Would I have been foolishly drawn into an encounter with that skeleton monster in that building? The monster who had given off the vibe of someone very dangerous, despite a perma-grin that made them appear like they couldn’t harm a fly.

“Papy, you’re doing it again.”

But that intent.

Oh, that _intent_ was of someone who would have Judged me given half the chance.

I had sensed it.

Sensed the power of a Judge that was similar to my own, before my socket had been further damaged, and my magic thrown off kilter.

To be Judged by another...

It would have been a surreal experience to be a part of.

That monster...they were similar more to me than my brother, despite their appearance.

A Judge.

”i was seen by that monster." My voice was distant. "they’re a Judge, bro.”

Sans looked appalled at first, likely due to his training not sticking with me, before he promptly became horrified at the implications of what I’d just told him. From Sans' reaction, this told me that we had been in a timeline where he hadn’t know that I was the Judge of our underground.

I checked to make sure that y/n was still sleeping, before I decided that I needed to tell Sans about my true job.

”sans. I had a job before we came to this universe.”

”I’m aware of your side jobs.” Sans snorted, but without any heat behind those words.

“i know you know about my half assed jobs, since you constantly patrolled for threats.” I looked away. “i had forgotten i hadn’t come clean with you about my actual job in the underground.” I could sense Sans’ curiously, as well as his doubt, and I didn’t blame him for it. Sans did have a very important job, after all, where he had had to ensure that things ran smoothly and that souls of humans that fell were gathered. And that the citizens of the underground kept themselves in line, within reason when it came to their EXP.

“What Could You Possibly Have Done That I Was Unaware Of Apart From You Getting Drunk Off Your Coccyx At Muffet’s?” Sans asked incredulously.

“i lied about muffet’s most of the time.” I finished my joint and calmly looked at my brother. “there was a good reason for me to be so wiped out most of the time. it was because i was either dusting someone or being forced to fight before dusting them.” That got Sans’ attention. I smirked humorously. “hadn’t you ever wondered who carried out executions on the queen’s behalf, if you were not present? or when the judge was required?”

“The...Judge?” Sans went completely still, his tone incredulous. “You’re The _Judge_? The One All Of The Underground Feared Should They Step Too Far Out Of Line?”

“the same.” I said with a weary sigh, shifting within the blankets. “but now you have your answer, since you always did wonder how i came across so much lv.” I closed my socket, not sure how Sans would react to the news. This had never been revealed to him outside out the underground. Sometimes Sans reacted in fury for keeping such a secret. Other times, he refused to believe me. Rarely did his soul cry out in sadness for being forced into such a role, when Sans knew that I despised fighting unless it was necessary to protect ourselves. Being a Judge was necessary, including dealing out Queen Toriel's 'justice’ but that didn’t mean I always wanted to fight. Especially not against those who didn’t want to defend themselves because fighting was a frightening experience to them.

Whatever my brother’s reaction, I felt I was prepared.

I wasn’t.

Sans tackled me with a tight hug, all tenseness gone as he growled angry muffled words against my shoulder. I took it as him being upset over the thought of Toriel forcing me to execute monsters and humans alike just because I had the power of a Judge.

”kinda what judges do.” I mumbled aloud, when Sans had quieted and was merely bristling in irritation.

“She could have waited until another monster received the power of a Judge.” Sans growled, though his voice was pitched low. “Her majesty had _me_. Captain of the royal guard. She knew I was always ready to deal out her ‘justice.’ There was no need to bring you into it.”

”no arguin’ with the queen.” I said, grasping the blanket tightly with one hand. “didn’t want to chance havin’ her think to use us against each other.”

Sans was quiet for a moment at that, but before he said anything more, I saw him turn his skull to look at y/n.

”bro?” I asked curiously. I thought he would have gone back to questioning me about what I had gathered about what had happened in the alley.

”We Still Have Much To Discuss, And I Don’t Want Your Date-Mate To Wake Up To Some Of The Discussion.” Sans said, unbundling the blankets from around me, before going to settle on the couch. “You Should Take Them To Their Room.”

”y/n...y/n isn’t my date-mate, bro.”

Sans just waved off my rather weak protests and gave me one of his no nonsense _looks_.

I sighed, before arranging my limbs and pushing myself up off the floor. I felt a little less unsteady after I’d taken the drugs, so I knew, with some brief use of magic, I could bring y/n the short distance required.

Sans was in one of his moods, and I was too tired to really protest his suggestion.

I may have also wanted to be close to y/n again.

I didn’t look at that want any closer than brief consideration, as I carefully scooped y/n up, blanket and all. I could feel Sans’ gaze on my back, and he seemed satisfied with how careful I was being while carrying the human. I felt a twitch of a smirk pass my fangs. When I had to carry Sans in the past, it wasn’t as dignified as bridal style with my arms beneath y/n’s knees and around their back to rest against my chest. Sans was either thrown over a shoulder or tucked under one of my arms. The spluttering, offended sounds were still the funniest thing I’d heard out of my brother.

But with y/n...

They were quiet as they continued to sleep.

I looked away from where I’d been staring down at their face and focused on bringing y/n to their bedroom. With a slow sigh, I finally brought my soul under control from the earlier encounter with the other skeleton monster. Entering the dimly lit bedroom, I carefully laid y/n out on their back on the bed, blanket and all. I stared down at y/n for a time, and silently cursed my brother for the whole date-mate discussion. I looked away, getting ready to rejoin Sans as I drew my hand away once I'd finished arranging the blanket over y/n.

I didn’t deserve a date-mate.

A Judge who dusted the innocent amongst the guilty didn’t deserve one.

I would have to settle with being friends with y/n, which was more than I believed I deserved.

Soul twisting with discomfort, I began to step away from the bed, only for y/n to sleepily grasp my wrist. Even though the touch wasn’t tight around the bones of my wrist, and I could have easily pulled away, I hesitated in doing so.

I ended up lingering alongside the bed, pretending, for just a short time, that I could have something of my own that wouldn’t be taken away from me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, taking time to plot out future chapters helped a lot and resulted in a bigger overall plot mixed in with what is going to for sure be two slow burn relationships (with Sans obviously taking longer because he doesn’t do feelings well). This new direction also puts the fic past the 100K mark, so prepare for a much more lengthy fic than originally planned (and for updates to start to become less frequent as I work out the kinks of the plot as it is written out). 
> 
> I’d say every other week is going to be the new norm for now, unless a burst of inspiration hits.
> 
> (Also, finally getting close to the actual romance part kicking in bit by bit-the reader is oblivious and papyrus, as mentioned at the end of this chapter, doesn’t think he deserves someone after what he’s done in his past (Guess he’ll just have to be proven wrong).
> 
> Next chapter the reader gets an...interesting wake up call, when they find out that they were clinging to Papyrus in their sleep.
> 
> Edit 10/1/2020: oh boy guess who just realized it is now October and wants to participate in whumptober? Guess which two poor skeletons are getting their background/past expanded with a snippet prequel with whumptober prompt because my mind decided. Yes. Do it. All the sadness emotional/physical hurt so they can enjoy being happy in this fic. Eventually.


	14. Chapter 14

Waking up was a bit more of a chore than it usually was for you.

You were not sure how you ended up on your bed, as you were positive that you had passedout unexpectedly in the living room after hearing about alternate universes. The why of being on your bed soon didn’t matter when you realized that you were a bit chilled. Your hand was also holding onto something, and you sleepily pulled it closer to you. There was a soft gasp at your sleepy tug, but you figured you’d imagined it as you snuggled up to what felt like one of your body pillows. 

It was still chilly. 

You mumbled crossly at being cold and cuddled closer to your pillow. It seemed...bigger than you remembered. And why did the pillow seem to be moving? Furrowing your brow, you dismissed thinking too much about it and snuggled closer, wrapping your arms around the pillow as you pressed your face into it.

It felt kind of stiff, despite the soft pillowcase.

That was weird.

And why was...why was a pillow making a clacking noise? Pillows were soft. There was nothing that should have been making that kind of a sound.

Huh.

You only had blankets and pillows on your bed, so why was the rattling getting louder?

Without opening your eyes, you gave an experimental grasp of your hands. They held fast to fabric. You  frowned when you heard a sharp intake of air and moved your hands again. This time, you came into contact with something solid, and felt it drowsily with your fingers.  


The rattling got louder.  


It felt like...a rib?  


That was silly.

Why would a pillow have bones in it?

You suddenly felt your pillow attempt to scoot away from you even as you traced your fingers to confirm what you’d felt.

Yup.

That felt like a rib, and when your grasped it through fabric, there was an odd whimper.

Wait.

Pillows didn’t move or make sounds.

But that would mean...

You jerked away from whatever you had been cuddled up to, and _feeling up_ , your eyes opening in alarm as some _one,_ most definitely not a pillow, fell over onto your bed alongside you.

What the heck?!

You scooted time the other side of the bed, muddled thoughts attempting to make sense of this as you began to panic just a little because _who was on your bed with you_?

Had someone broken into your apartment?

In the middle of a blizzard?

Where was Papyrus?

Was Sans okay?

Before the panic could really set in, you were able to make out the shape on your bed in the dimly lit bedroom.  


It was Papyrus, and he was hiding his skull in the fluff of his hood.

Wait.

You blinked at the skeleton.

Why was Papyrus in your bedroom?

On your bed?

Oh gosh.

Oh no.

You hadn’t been snuggling up to a body pillow. You’d...you had been cuddled right up against the monster and had even felt up his ribs in your half-awake state. You hadn’t meant to do that but why in the world was Papyrus there in the first place?! You watched as Papyrus slowly moved his tall frame further across the bed before he let out a panicked, hysterical little laugh that cut off into a nervous chuckle.

”forgot that you humans get...cold.” Papyrus said, his voice uneven. “skeleton monsters have no body to get cold. goes right through us.”

It took a moment to click that Papyrus was attempting to lighten the mood with terrible jokes but the atmosphere became less tense as you let out a short of laughter. With a wide yawn, you stared curiously at your friend, rather puzzled as to why the two of your were here and not in the living room.

“h-hi.” Papyrus said nervously. All at once he seemed to become self conscious. Papyrus tugged his hood up over his skull further, hiding the deep dusting of purple that was appearing across his cheekbones.

You tilted your head, continuing to stare.

That was kind of cute. 

Why was he blushing though?

“i’m sorry!“ Papyrus’ words began to tumble out, sounding frantic. “i should’ve just left you on the chair, but sans insisted that i take you to your room. but i didn’t realize you had grabbed me and i over balanced when you tugged on my wrist and...and...” Papyrus pressed his hands over his hood, tangling in the fluff as his words began to run into one another. “please don’t think i’m acreepididn’tmeantoenduponyourbed-“

”Papyrus?”

You watched as the monster fell abruptly silent, collapsing onto the bed to press his face into the bedsheets, as if embarrassed.  


“m’sorry.” Papyrus mumbled, his voice muffled by both his hood and the fact he was lying face-down.  


Well, at least now you knew how you’d ended up in your bedroom. Despite Sans’ usually distant behavior, at least he seemed to be thoughtful. Sleeping in a chair really wouldn’t do your neck any favors if you’d stayed in the same place for too long. But why didn’t Papyrus just try to wake you up?

”Papyrus?” You asked again, recalling why you’d passed out in the first place.

“yeah?”

”Did you...I didn’t imagine you telling me that you and Sans are from a different universe, did I?” You asked, sitting up on the bed.

Papyrus let out a slow sigh. “no, you didn’t.” 

You stared down at the bedsheets for a moment, struggling to make sense of the idea again. It was too much for a just awake mind so you gave up and focused on your friend instead.

Papyrus must have sensed your gaze, because he briefly peeked out from beneath the fluff of his hood to meet your eyes with his single purple eye light.

“i shouldn’t have dropped all of that information on you at once.” Papyrus fell silent before he flushed again, as if realizing where he was. 

It surprised you to see the tall monster move so quickly, as Papyrus hastily scrambled off the bed, uttering another apology. He kept his hood up, and you watched as Papyrus slunk over to your computer chair to sink down onto it. With his tall frame it took a bit longer to arrange himself into a slouch.

“m’sorry I ended up makin’ you pass out like that.” Papyrus sighed again, his phalanges absently picking at the hoodie.

“First time for everything.” You said, turning on the bed to face Papyrus. “But it’s a lot to take in, and honestly, it’s hard to believe something like alternate universes exist.”

“i think i can prove to you that Sans and i are from a different universe.” Papyrus told you as he perked up and took his odd-looking phone out of a pocket. “or at least give you one piece of proof of it.”

You waited patiently, watching Papyrus tap the his phalanges against the screen before he turned the phone screen toward you to show you something.

It was a newspaper article from over 10 years ago.

“Look at the skeleton monsters in the photo.” Papyrus told you.

You did as asked, and saw the monsters amongst the group surrounding the King of monsters, Asgore. You took a closer peek at the skeleton monsters once you picked them out do the gathering.

The taller one stood out to you, and the resemblance to your friend was rather uncanny. The only difference was the cheerfulness of the monster in the photo and the lack of injuries and sharp teeth. That, and the clothing was much different. The monster in the photo was dressed in armor as if they were a part of the royal guard. Papyrus and the monster in the photo looked like they could be brothers or cousins.You looked at the shorter skeleton in the photo. The skeleton had a lazy perma-smile, and the comfy outfit that the skeleton wore seemed to more within Papyrus’ style of clothing. You couldn’t help but snort in amusement as something else occurs to you. That short skeleton in the photo couldn’t be father from Sans’ personality, and it was obvious that the teeth were blunt and not fangs.

“They do look kind of like you and your brother, but couldn’t they just be relatives of yours?” You still had trouble grasping the idea of an alternate universe. You had a feeling that it was going to take a long time and a lot of proof to believe something so outlandish. But Papyrus had been nothing but honest with you the entire time you’ve known him, so you were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“where sans and i are from, we’re the only skeleton monsters left.” Papyrus said quietly as he tucked his phone away. “it would have to be similar here, since apart from those two, i’ve not met any other skeleton monsters .”

You weren’t sure what to think about that, but it was another piece of information to add to the puzzle.

“you think i’m crazy, don’t you?” Papyrus ran a a hand over his face, briefly tracing the scar over his right socket. “i shouldn’t have given you a shortened explanation. kept it simple at first.”

“I still would have wondered why you didn’t want Sans to go to the hospital, regardless of whether or not you said anything about...alternate universes.” You said. “What _did_ you think would happen, if Sans had gone to the hospital?”

“i’m not sure but...” Papyrus let out a weak laugh as his hand went from his socket to slide over the back of his skull. “i think it was just the idea of what could go wrong that was getting to me. maybe nothing would have happened. maybe the staff might have contacted another skeleton monster. one of the two that aren’t me. and if one of them saw my bro...i worried that they might try to separate us. to...question us.”

Papyrus looked uncomfortable about something but it passed, so you dismissed it for now.

“thinkin’ back, maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad.” Papyrus stared down at the floor between his feet. “my brother and I...we aren’t very good with extending trust to others, especially healers. s’why sans healed me most of the time back home, after one so-called healer tried to kill me.” Papyrus lifted his skull to meet your eyes. “but if you’re up for it, i can answer any questions that you have. just give me a chance to explain things.”

You were quiet for a time, mulling over what you would like to have clarification about first. Start with something like how this place differed from their own? You had a basic idea of what the monsters had said happened while they loved underground, so that would help let you know if the whole alternate universe was actually viable. You hadn’t believed monsters could be real until you saw them. You hadn’t believed magic was real until you saw a demonstration of it. So...maybe that would help?

”y/n?” Papyrus voice was so soft you almost didn’t hear it. He sounded so worried and almost terrified.  


Your silence while in thought must have seemed a bad sign to Papyrus, because when you cast a glance his way, you saw that he had started to fidget. You got up off the bed and walked over to him, and leaned over. As Papyrus had done the night before, you took his hands in your own, figuring it was acceptable to do.

Papyrus jumped a little, his larger hands grasping yours in what seemed to be surprise before he relaxed them, his eye light searching your face curiously.

“I think, since the shock factor is over, we could talk more about alternate universes without me fainting on you again. It is really confusing but...I do want to know more. And I have a few questions that I think would help me understand a bit better.”

Just as Papyrus parted his fangs to say something, he was interrupted by a few sharp knocks on the bedroom door.

You and Papyrus both turned toward the doorway to find Sans leaning against the frame. You weren’t sure why he was wearing such a smug look until you realized Sans’ unbandaged eye light was looking at where you were holding Papyrus hands in your own.

“I Was Wondering What Was Taking You So Long.” Sans carefully pushed away from the doorframe and began to hobble away. “If You Wanted Alone Time With Your Date-Mate, You Should Have Just Said So, Brother.”

You quickly let go of Papyrus’ hands so that he could press them up against his face, phalanges of one hand lightly scraping at the scar over his socket as he groaned.

“sorry that my bro keeps misinterpreting things.”

“Maybe we could talk about what your home was like?” You suggested, before adding, with an evil little grin. “Or we could get back at Sans for the whole date-mate deal and just go bother him about his job hunt. After that we could  work our way back to  alternate universes?” 

“sure, why not?” Papyrus chuckled, his hands dropping to his lap as his fangs tugged into something of a wry smile. “but don’t be so sure that you’ll distract him. sans can be stubborn. once he gets an idea in that skull of his, he won’t be swayed from it so easily. be prepared for sans to try to attempt to get us to follow step two of the dating guide book.”

“I’ll be sure to brace myself.”

Papyrus laughed at your deadpan response as he stood up and walked over to your door.   


You follow Papyrus out of your bedroom, feeling more awake now. Not that accidentally pulling a monster onto your bed and snuggling with them as though they were a pillow hadn’t woken you up most of the way.  


“You Did Not Have To End Your Time Alone So Soon.” You smothered a laugh over the sight of Sans shaking his head at his brother, before the smaller monster perked up at whatever Papyrus had just whispered to him. Just as suddenly as the interest was shown, you watched as the brotherly disapproval on Sans’ face changed into irritation.

”Of Course You Would Choose To Bring Up My Dismal Work Prospects.” Sans grumbled as he settled back on the couch with a faint wince.

You presumed he was still healing from his injuries. It wasn’t like you knew how long it took monsters to recover from injuries.

”dunno why no one’s hired you yet.” Papyrus offered as he splayed across the rest of the couch. He glanced at you briefly before lazily stretching his legs over Sans’ lap. “still agree with y/n that you should lodge a complaint to make sure you aren’t getting turned down cause you’re a skeleton monster.”

”I Have Done So, But Nothing Has Come Of It.” Sans said curtly, fangs tugging into an annoyed expression over Papyrus’ legs in his space.   


“And the royal guard is out because you are...not from here?” If Papyrus and Sans really were from an alternate universe, then it made sense why the smaller monster wouldn’t approach the captain of the guard over possibly joining. Especially since Sans had said that he _was_ a captain.

”Correct.” Sans said shortly, hands hovering over Papyrus’ legs as if to shove them away before merely dealing with a few loose threads on the sweatpants his brother wore. “It Would Not Do To Show Myself While My Brother And I Do Not Know How They Would React To Us. Besides...” Sans straightened up, puffing out his chest. “I Am A Captain, And The Idea Of Giving Up That Title Doesn’t Sit Well With Me.”

”Well...what else are you good at? Skill wise?” You noticed Papyrus offer a smile your way, as if he appreciated you distracting Sans. You weren’t expecting to be regaled with such a long list of abilities that Sans was clearly proud of. The smug expression returned and the smaller skeleton further puffed up chest, causing you to stifle laughter, since Sans was being serious about it.  


”my bro is the coolest.” Papyrus said fondly once Sans had stopped speaking. “he can do whatever he wants and is good at pretty much everything.”

You watched as Sans all but preened at the praise, and couldn’t help but smile over how pleased Sans seemed to be with himself.

”You know, I could ask my friend Natalie if she’s heard of any job openings. Papyrus had told me that you’d been trying for security, but would you be open to something else? Natalie knows a lot of baristas at different coffee shops, and a few of the smaller gift stores, as well as two flower shops.” You wondered if the dip in the smile Sans wore meant he was a little put off by the idea but his words said otherwise.   


“At This Point In Time, I Will Try Anything So That I May Finally Have A Routine And Financial Stability.” Sans said, hand reaching behind his back to presumably touch his wounded scapula. “A Job, Regardless Of What It Is, Would Make My Days A Little More Bearable Without So Much Free Time To...Dwell On Useless Matters.”

”workaholic.” Papyrus prodded his brother with a foot.

”Lazybones.” Sans sniped back almost instantly.

While the two brothers bickered back and forth, you pulled out your phone and sent a text off to Natalie. When it seemed like Papyrus and Sans weren’t finished with their argument, you decided to get up and wander into the kitchen in search of a snack. You ended up cleaning a few dishes too and once you finally got  your snack, you returned to a rather quiet living room.

”hey.” Papyrus said softly, a finger held up to his fangs before pointing down.

Sans’ socket was closed, and his ribs were rising and falling slowly. He didn’t seem to care that Papyrus’ legs were still stretched out across his lap. A blanket had been settled over Sans.

“He fell asleep quickly.” You commented quietly.

”still healing.” Papyrus provided.

You noted that Papyrus was looking at you a little oddly. In that his purple eye light was following your every movement, as if he were seeing you for the first time. To your amusement, the taller monster beckoned you with a single finger, watching you closely. Deciding to humor your friend, you carefully tiptoed closer so as to not disturb Sans’ sleep.

”thanks for cheering him up.” Papyrus said, voice still barely audible. “it would be good for sans to have a job after all this time. he needs some control over his day to day life, and having a specific time for work would be useful.”

”You do realize that all the jobs Natalie might know of are likely to be customer service oriented, right?” You asked.

“it’ll be fine, if he is able to get one of those jobs.” Papyrus shrugged. “sans can control his temper. at most he will merely stare at someone if they end up being rude. like this.”   


“Like wha-“  You shut up as you watched as Papyrus’ single eye light vanished, leaving behind a dark socket. It was a little spooky to not see the eye light but you saw Papyrus’ fangs twitch up in a tiny smirk and you rolled your eyes. “Mm, yes, very unnerving. I’m sure no one will put up a fuss over being stared at blankly like that.” You watched as the purple light returned to Papyrus’ socket, and his sharp teeth parted in a wider grin.  


”if the awe and confusion i’ve seen in _caffeine fixation_ is anything to go by, then he’d do just fine.” Papyrus laughed a little. “he’d love a coffee shop job though. he could get all the coffee he wanted.”

”Are you sure Sans wouldn’t just vibrate straight out of the coffee shop with all the extra caffeine, sugar and energy packets he asks for ?” You wondered, trying and failing to bite back a laugh at the image of Sans blasting out of the ceiling and racing around on a caffeine high. 

At this rate, you and Papyrus were going to wake Sans up from his nap with laughter.

”his soul might finally feel something if he goes for a record amount of caffeine.” Papyrus told you solemnly, before ruining it with another lopsided grin of his fangs. “if you want to see sans race around like a human child does after consuming a lot of sugar, then let him eat dark chocolate with chili peppers. that’s the only food that actually affects him. he’ll be twitchy for hours and then crash for half a day.” Papyrus snickered. “it’s how i got him to get some rest in the past, by mimicking the chili pepper flavor  and mixing it with any dark chocolate i could get.”

“The most energy I’ve seen Sans have is when he was talking about dating.” You gave your friend a frown. “Does he really get even more energetic than that? And with dark chocolate?”  


“yup. with chili peppers. or habaneros. ” Papyrus leaned over to arrange Sans on his side and  draped the blanket back over him. “though he isn’t as happy as when he was a kid. it would be a double whammy when he got a rush. sans was always ready to race around the underground like he was invincible.”

Oh. 

Oh, you had to know now.  ”Were you cute kids?”

”sans was a cute baby bones.” Papyrus confirmed, though his eye light dimmed a bit, not matching the smile. “little trouble maker. sans was tiny for years. i didn’t stay small and got to this height when I was...fourteen, i think.”

”It’s weird to think of you as having been smaller.” You stated, before smirking. “Sans I could believe. He only comes up to your chest.”

”that’s cuz he’s always gonna be my little brother.” Papyrus said with a mischievous look in Sans’ direction.

You didn’t get it until the smaller monster finally moved.

”OH MY STARS!” Sans groaned from the couch. “DO I NEED TO MOVE ON TO STEP TWO OF THE DATING GUIDE BOOK? OR PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW THE STEPS PROPERLY AND COMPLETE STEP ONE?” Sans let out a growl as Papyrus covered his face with a pillow. “WHY ARE YOU SO RESISTANT TO ADMITTING YOUR FEELINGS, BROTHER? ONE MUST NOT HIDE THEM FROM A DATE-MATE.” 

Right before Papyrus could respond, your phone began to ring. “I’m going to get this.” You told the skeleton monsters. “I’ll be right back.” You left Papyrus to the mercy of his brother lecturing him about proper etiquette while Papyrus wore a long suffering look that changed to pleading. As if to ask you not to leave him alone with Sans, who looked to be warming up to explaining those dating steps again. You offered an apologetic look before you went into your bedroom to take your call.

”Hello?” You picked up the call as soon as you sat on your computer chair.

” _Hey, y/n. What’s going on? How come you’re a_ _sking about jobs in the area? You aren’t looking for one, are you? Your novels are doing fine, right? You literally just released a new one!”_

Natalie.

”No, not for me.” You said, smiling at the genuine concern in your friend’s voice. “It’s for Sans. Papyrus’ brother?”

” _Wait. Why doesn’t he have a job_?” Natalie asked. “ _He has a great resting bitch face and gives no shits. That’s a perfect combo to deal with most of the populace_.”

Oh boy.

You could already tell this was going to be an entertaining phone call. And to your amusement, and slight trepidation, Natalie almost certainly heard Sans’ raised voice that boomed from your living room.

”YOU MUST BE FIRM IN YOUR PASSION, LEST YOUR DATE-MATE FEEL YOU ARE NOT FULLY COMMITTED TO THEM!” 

“bro, oh stars, please don’t smoke my joints . you know what happens when you-“

”WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLIZZARD! I AM ALLOWED TO BLOCK MY PAIN IN ORDER TO HELP YOU. YOU CANNOT FOOL ME WITH YOUR PROTESTS. I WILL NOT ALLOW MY OWN BROTHER TO FALL VICTIM TO A FAILED COURTSHIP!”

”sans!” Papyrus’ voice raised in pitch. “give me that joint.”

”NO!”   


There was another pause, and then a loud whoop as someone, likely Sans, stomped on the floor.   


“HERE! PRETEND THAT THIS PILLOW I HOLD BEFORE YOU IS Y/N! CONFESS THE FEELINGS THAT YOU HAVE HIDDEN DEEP WITHIN YOUR SOUL.”

“...i am never letting you smoke medicinal drugs when healing magic is still in effect ever again. you are such a busybody. since when did you care about me being single?”  Papyrus complained loudly. 

”STOP AVOIDING AND START CONFESSING! WITH THIS JOINT-“

You could all but picture the normally cold and collected monster waving said joint around triumphantly.  


“I WILL OVERCOME MY PAIN, AS I SAID BEFORE, AND USE THE TIME TO INSTRUCT YOU IN THE NUANCES OF DATE-MATE LIFE!”

”it’s so much worse than with the sedatives.” Papyrus said lifelessly amid Sans cackling like a maniac. “please stop. you will hate yourself when everything wears off and you’re in your right mind.”

”NONSENSE! I AM PERFECTLY SOUND OF MIND.” Sans sounded snooty now. “ONCE YOU’VE CONFESSED, YOU MUST SHARE A PASSIONATE KISS. OR NUZZLE. LIKE SO.”

”oh stars sans _please_ stop making out with that pillow.” 

”NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!” Sans declared. “CONFESS AND THEN KISS THIS PILLOW AS PASSIONATELY AS YOU WOULD A DATE-MATE. DO NOT HOLD ANYTHING BACK! I BELIEVE IN YOU BROTHER!”

You couldn’t help but start to crack up as Papyrus let out a very loud groan of protest over how embarrassing his brother was being.

Natalie, who had been silent for a long time, began to wheeze with laughter on the other end of the line.

Sans was a menace when drugged up.  
  
Poor Papyrus.

” _Maybe I could ask Felicity if her mom’s flower shop is hiring_.” Natalie said between gasps of laughter. “ _Sans could...Sans could sweet talk the old ladies who come in and that would totally make their day_.”

”Call Felicity and ask.” You told Natalie. “And check with Matt to see if he knows of any jobs openings. I know you told me he’s been looking for a job too.”

” _Will do._ ” Natalie snickered a little. “ _Gonna go rescue Papyrus_?”

”Maybe. If Sans will let me.” You said. “I’ll call you back later.”

To be fair, you did try to help, but only roped yourself into making late afternoon burritos with a still drugged Sans, who attempted to explain to you why chapter 4 of the dating guide book was important.

Papyrus has since hidden beneath the blankets and pillows on the living room floor, apparently waiting for his skull to stop being near-completely dusted with purple.  


A text on your phone from Natalie let you know that she just realized that you had visitors, despite having heard the voices. You stuck with the basic answer of them getting caught in the storm on their way home. You figured if you needed to, you could tell her some of the details in person.

”HUMAN! WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRACTICE STEP 2? I WILL OFFER MYSELF AS A SOUND BOARD IF YOU HAVE ANY FEELINGS TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST.”  


You were very confused by Papyrus growling from his cuddle pile of blankets and pillows. To avoid Sans, you hurried over and dove into the blankets. Papyrus gasped and Sans cackled as your shook a finger at the smaller monster.

”No feelings talk until your drugs wear off.”

The pout Sans managed to pull off was amazing and so unlike him that you ducked under the blanket to hide your smile, and moved slightly, where you bumped into Papyrus. You thought nothing of him huddled up against your back, assuming that he was seeking comfort of some sort for his brother being so insistent on his dating guide book.

“Papyrus?” Your back was turned so you didn’t see the dusting of purple on Papyrus’ cheek bones or nasal cavity, nor see the way he incrementally relaxed now that Sans wasn’t trying to get you to confess...whatever feelings he seemed to think you had for his brother. “How long till Sans goes back to, uh, normal?”

”few hours.” Papyrus murmured back after a moment.

You felt the tall monster huddle closer to your back. “Are you okay?”

”...i will be.” 

You didn’t understand why Papyrus sounded so sad. But the moment vanished in the face of Sans getting upset over the two of you not properly following the steps of the dating guide book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> High Sans is amusing to write. He just wants Papyrus to be happy but doesn’t know how to emotion properly.
> 
> Still slowly making progress toward the romance. Reader is oblivious, Sans is misinformed and oblivious, and Papyrus denies good things in his life because he doesn’t think he deserves them. Even a blizzard/Sans’ recital of the dating guide book isn’t helping. I swear this is going to end up being one of those ‘later realizing they’d been in a relationship all along’ deal if someone doesn’t do something soon.
> 
> FYI: the next chapter will begin with a short transition.
> 
> And yes, I’m doing whumptober this year, because I had a mighty need to explore Sans and Papyrus’ past, and didn’t want to bog this fic down with their flashbacks and angst. Working on that won’t affect updates for this fic. This will still be an every other week update unless I have a good writing day (so there will be a chance of sporadic updates this month).


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got that sudden burst of inspiration, so here’s some fluff.

Sans mercifully wore himself out a second time after loudly declaring step three in the dating guide book. He conked out after going on to lecture you about having a bigger selection and better balance of food to eat. Sans ended up so deeply asleep that Papyrus was able to scoop him up an hour later without the smaller monster waking up.

“The blizzard warning is gone but it’s still snowing heavily out there.” You glanced out the living room window. “And it’s getting dark out. Are you sure it's okay to head out?"

”i can get us home.” Papyrus said with a small smile. “know a shortcut.”

”Sometime you’ll have to show me this shortcut of yours that you keep cryptically mentioning.” You said with a smile of your own.

”if sans is okay with it.” Papyrus said with a light shrug. "i'll make sure that he’s all there and...sane, before asking.”

You went over to the front door where Papyrus waited, still holding his brother in his arms. “If you’re sure you'll be okay...” You opened the door, and stepped aside as Papyrus passed by with a softly snoring Sans. “Text me when you get back? I’d rather not think about the two of you getting stuck in the snow and having your joints freeze or something.”

”sure.” Papyrus agreed easily enough, humming to himself as he adjusted his hold on Sans so that he could dig around in a pocket. With another little grin crossing his fangs, Papyrus held something out to you. “here.”

You took the small item and looked as it, vaguely realizing that Papyrus had stepped away. Papyrus had given you...a piece of paper with a few words scribbled on it? Couldn't he have just talked to you?

’ _keep warm tonight. check the living room.”_

You looked up from the piece of paper to ask Papyrus what he meant by that, but he was gone. He and Sans weren’t in the hallway outside your apartment. Where...had he gone? You hadn’t heard the door to the stairs open or close. Confused, you went back into your apartment, closing and locking the door as you puzzled over Papyrus’ cryptic ways.

Tally zipped into the living room out of nowhere, twining through your legs, desperate meows calling for love and attention. 

And food.

You saw that Sashay had made an appearance as well on the back of the couch next to...wait, was that Papyrus’ hoodie? You offered your hand to Sashay, who turned her dainty nose up at your offer. Snubbed, you picked up the hoodie instead, and inspected it.

Nope.

This was definitely the hoodie that Papyrus had been wearing.

How had it gotten here when the body it had been on was already out of your apartment?

Shivering a little because you were stupidly wearing a short sleeve shirt and hadn’t bothered with the temp in your apartment, you decided to take up Papyrus’ suggestion to keep warm. The monster’s hoodie was awfully warm, the fabric soft if worn from use, just like it had when you’d worn it yesterday. And boy oh boy did you love the fluffy hood. It completely engulfed your head when you flipped it up. Rolling up the sleeves, you went to the kitchen to get your cat's food, before you curled up on the couch, warm and cozy.

Just as you were about to drift off, your phone buzzed with a text. You checked the time on the clock on your wall. That couldn’t be Papyrus already, could it? It had only been ten minutes.

Papyrus: _me and my bro are home now_

You: _Already? I thought you guys lived outside the city?_

Papyrus: _told you. short cut_

You: _What kind of short cut only takes ten minutes?_

Papyrus: _a magic one_

You: _I’m frowning at you, just to let you know_.

Papyrus: _frown away. no more secret reveals today_

You: _I’m frowning harder now_.

While you waited for a response, you changed Papyrus’ name in your contacts. Tally curled up on your lap, tail swishing up and down as he stared up at you, as though you would give him more food.

The Cryptic One: _you gonna be okay with being snowed in?_

You: _Yes? That’s why I went and got those groceries yesterday afternoon when I bumped into you._

The Cryptic One: _makes sense_

The Cryptic One: _you got enough blankets to keep warm, too, from the look of it. make sure you use ‘em. or turn up the heat in your apartment_

You: _I’m pretty warm right now_. 

With a quick snap of your phone's camera, you took a selfie of yourself waving a little wave, and sent it off.

It took longer for Papyrus to answer this time.

The Cryptic One: _well, look at that. guess i forgot to take my hoodie with me_

You: _I’m going to assume that your ‘shortcut’ has something to do with it._

The Cryptic One: _maybe_. _guess i’ll have to come by again sometime and get it._

You: _If you want to hang out again at my place, just say so. If it’s you or Natalie, I wouldn’t mind company. I can also just give you your hoodie back when we both end up at_ Caffeine Fixation. 

The Cryptic One: _you wanna hang out later this week? i should probably catch up on work_

You: _That works with me. Maybe I’ll see this mysterious shortcut of yours?_

The Cryptic One: _you’ll just have to wait and see_

-x-x-x-

When you looked out your living room window, there was white everywhere. The pileup of snow was so bad that it had taken two days for the city to be dug out of the record snowfall. And there was more forecasted to hit next week.

You were very glad that you could work from home, what with just needing a computer to type and communicate. But at the same time, you were excited to get out of your apartment to go to your favorite coffee shop. The excitement _might_ have had to do with the fact that Papyrus had agreed to show you his shortcut today, with a promise that the two of you wouldn’t have to trudge over a potentially icy sidewalk.

Dressed warmly in another comfy sweater of yours that you found in the back of your closet, and a pair of loose fitting pants, you shooed Sashay and Tally away from the door to put on your coat and scarf, leaving the boots for last. Going back into your bedroom, you got your laptop in its bag, along with its charging cord and a notebook, before slinging it over your shoulder. You pick Papyrus’ hoodie up from where it had been draped over the back of your computer chair.

Shame you had to give it back so soon.

Maybe Papyrus could tell you where he bought such a comfy warm clothing?

The fluffy hood was your favorite part, along with the deep pockets.

A knock on the front door of your apartment had Tally and Sashay flee from the immediate premises. 

Shaking your head fondly at your cats antics, you checked the spyglass to confirm it was Papyrus, before opening the door to greet him. ”Hey, Papyrus.”

The tall monster offered a weak smile, looking a bit harried. As if he’d had an unpleasant phone call or something before he arrived. You would know, since you’d had to offer such a smile to Natalie after a bad day. Though you weren’t sure you’d be so ruffled. Poor Papyrus. It looked like he’d tossed on his clothes before leaving for the day, in khaki pants, a pair of shoes and a soft-looking black hoodie with a furry hood that was completely purple.

”You got here pretty quickly.” Deciding that you could distract Papyrus from whatever was troubling him, you proffered his folded up hoodie. “Thanks for lending this to me, even though you ‘forgot’ it here the other day.”

”heh.” Papyrus smiled a genuine little smile this time as his purple eye light roved over your outfit and coat. “looks like you’re dressed for the weather this time.”

”Yup.” You pocketed your keys as Papyrus took the offered hoodie. ”So...do I get to see a magic trick today?”

Papyrus snickered as he turned slightly to the side. With a mischievous parting of his teeth, Papyrus grasped at thin air as if opening a lid.

You watched with a gasp as a translucent lid appeared.

Papyrus placed his hoodie into nothing, his hands vanishing in midair. His teeth clicked back together to smirk at you as Papyrus closed the ‘lid’ with a flourish.

"Holy shit! What was that?” You paused before you answered your own question. “That was...that was one of those dimensional boxes, wasn’t it? Though...a little different than the ones I’ve read about online.”

”yup.” Papyrus echoed you from earlier. “bit different in my universe with how a monster manifests it, but the dimensional boxes work much the same as it does here.” 

”Are we going to get play 20 questions today about alternate universes?” You asked curiously. 

Papyrus had seemed more comfortable discussing the culture differences between universes over the phone, so you weren’t sure if that would be the case today. Papyrus was still trying to pace his explanations so that you wouldn’t feel overwhelmed as you had when you’d initially learned alternate universes existed.

Since the blizzard, you had since learned that the monsters who lived in the same world as you were much more peaceful than those who lived in Papyrus’ underground. It sounded to be vastly different, the main difference being that it was a much more violent place, with monsters likely to all have a LV. It was something that didn’t seem to exist in your home, as Papyrus confirmed that of the monsters he’d seen, they only had an LV of 1, the lowest possible LV to hold.

It honestly sounded like a video game, what with the talk of stats and LV, and even HP.

”if you wanna talk more about it, how about we save that for over the phone or discussing it at your place?” Papyrus shifted, his tall frame straightening up a tad. “don’t think other monsters or even humans would take that kind of talk well in public spaces.”

”True.” You certainly hadn’t taken the whole alternate universe deal well either. But your writer brain was certainly warming to the possibilities other universes presented. “How about we just go lurk in the coffee shop and see if I can bum a free drink off Natalie? On her break she can let us know about any potential job offerings for your brother?”

”sounds good to me.” Papyrus, instead of stepping aside to let you out of the apartment, actually shooed you back inside. He closed and locked the door before turning to face you. “ready for a shortcut?”

”Don’t shortcuts normally involve going toward your destination first?” You asked, looking up at Papyrus curiously.

”not with this particular shortcut of mine.”

Papyrus was being as cryptic as usual with this ‘shortcut’ business.

”How does it work?” You decided to humor your friend, since Papyrus seemed to be in a better mood now than when he’d first arrived. 

“well, first things first. i’ll need to hold on to your hand or something.” Papyrus remained where he was. “my bro usually just has me hold one of his humerus.”

This was a little weird, but you had learned over the past few months that Papyrus, while he may joke around, usually meant what he said unless he was being mysterious for his own entertainment. Like that joy buzzer he’d gotten you with two weeks ago, when Papyrus had solemnly informed you that he needed to practice shaking hands. He wanted to show Sans that he didn’t need to crush the other person’s hand in a show of strength. But right now, you somehow _knew_ Papyrus was being serious. He also seemed almost...fidgety about showing you his shortcut.

You stepped forward and held out a hand, which Papyrus took in one of his own. The monster stared down at your hand, at a loss for words, while you stared because you'd forgotten how much bigger he was than you.

”second step might be strange, but i’m gonna need you to close your eyes." Papyrus let out a nervous chuckle. "i...don’t know how to explain it, without going into detail, but you can’t take a peek for a second or so. it...it doesn’t end well.” 

Well, didn’t that sound ominous?

”if you don’t want to do this, we can always just take a walk to the cafe.” Papyrus must have sensed your trepidation.

”I can’t look?” You asked to confirm. Seeing the hesitant nod, you thought about it for a moment. “Oh. I know!” You took a step forward after you let go of Papyrus’ hand, and wrapped him in a hug instead as you pressed your face to his chest. “Now I can’t take a peek, right? Let’s go!”

Papyrus issued out an odd little noise like a whine, but you felt a hand lightly rest over your shoulder.

An odd sense of vertigo struck you at the same time it felt as though you were dropping down from the top of a roller coaster.

Not a fun sensation.

”we’re there.” Papyrus murmured overhead.

What.

You pulled away from the tight hug you’d wrapped Papyrus in and stepped away, looking around in amazement.

The two of you were outside, and standing in the alley next to _Caffeine Fixation_.

”A shortcut...” You mumbled, looking up at Papyrus.

"yup." The monster stuffed his hands into his hoodie’s pockets, having already tugged his fluffy purple hood over his skull.

”You just teleported.”

”guess you could call it that.”

”Papyrus, that was _awesome_!”

”nyeh heh.” Papyrus awkwardly shuffled his feet, staring down at them. “s’nothing.”

You rolled your eyes at that even as you cooed inwardly over Papyrus' little laugh. “C’mon, let’s go get some coffee, cocoa and pester Natalie.”

“don’t forget the barbecue sauce.” Papyrus said with a laugh as he trailed after you through the snowy alley.

”Why _do_ you just drink straight barbecue sauce anyway?” 

No response.

”Papyrus?” You half turned to find him staring at the end of the alleyway.

One of Papyrus' hands was out of his pocket and clenched at his side.

“Papyrus? Something wrong?” You asked.

”it’s nothing.” Papyrus turned away, a false smile gracing his teeth. “let’s go.”

You gave the alley one last glance before turning away, only to feel a leap of panic when something washed over your body. It made you feel heavy and weightless all at once.

"y/n!"

What in the ..?

You gasped as you were somehow yanked toward Papyrus as he wrapped you in his arms. The monster took a quick step back with a muffled curse. The action was so quick you almost didn't notice several snowballs striking the wall. They would have hit you had Papyrus not done whatever magic thing he’d just done. It had to have been magic, because the weird feeling went away, and Papyrus loosened his arms from around your waist with a slow sigh.

"was that really necessary?" Papyrus mumbled, skull turning to stare back down the alley.

"Rus?" You craned your head up but couldn't make out the monster's expression, since his hood was up and his head was turned so that you could only see the scarred socket. "Everything okay?"

"...yeah." Papyrus let go of you after giving the alleyway a final once over. "probably just some kids having some fun with the weather."

You bit back a laugh when Papyrus' cheekbones dusted purple. "What's that look for?"

"...what did you call me?" Papyrus asked as he fiddled with his hoodie strings. 

"Rus?" You supplied, unable to help but smile as the purple made its way up his skull. "Do you prefer Papyrus?"

"either is fine." Papyrus mumbled, reaching up to tug the hood down over his skull further. 

"Well, Rus, let's get out of the cold." You followed along after Papyrus, who was quick to take the offer to likely go hide his face against a table. Half turning at the entrance to the alley, you didn't see any signs of anyone having been in the alley. 

Where had those snowballs come from? 

What kind of magic had Papyrus used to move you out of the way?

Giving the alleyway a final check, you followed Papyrus into the coffee shop.

No use getting worked up over nothing, you supposed. Even if snowballs weren't dangerous, your mind was already starting to churn with potential ideas. Maybe you could write about an assassin who attacked from the shadows. Would that even be a viable character for one of your novels? 

Inside the warmth of the coffee shop, you typed away on your laptop as Papyrus hid his face in his arms, skull still a lovely shade of purple.

Your phone buzzed, and you checked it, before giving the words a narrow eyed look.

Unknown number: _WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHY MY BROTHER WAS ACTING IN SUCH A DAZED MANNER TODAY?_

You sighed as you changed the contact name and sent a message back.

You: _How did you get my number, Sans?_

Coffee Addict: _MY BROTHER DOESN'T CHANGE HIS PHONE'S PASSCODE._

You: _Isn't that a breach of privacy?_

Coffee Addict: _I WANT TO MAKE SURE PAPYRUS IS TAKING CARE OF HIS DATE-MATE IN HIS DAZED STATE._

You: _We're not date-mate's but does getting me out of the way of snowballs being flung at me count?_

Coffee Addict: _THAT WILL SUFFICE. INFORM ME IF HE SLACKS OFF. I WILL ENSURE THAT HE TAKES BETTER CARE OF YOU._

You didn't reply to that.

Sans was such a worrier, just like Papyrus had said before.

You wondered how long Sans would be convinced that you were dating his brother.

"somethin' wrong?" Papyrus asked, peering out from beneath his hood.

"Just your brother making sure you were 'taking care of me'."

Papyrus groaned in embarrassment and hid his face again, his words muffled. "i hope natalie has some job prospects i can throw my bro's way so that he'll stop trying to 'help' me."

"Nat should have a break in an hour or so. We can ask her then." You reached across the table and patted the monster's arm. "Until then, maybe you could tell me about the magic you used on me earlier, Rus?"

A soft 'nyeh' rose from the monster.

"I love that laugh." You couldn't take it anymore. You had to say something, especially since you'd heard it twice today. "Its nice to hear you laugh like that 'cause it seems like you’re...happier in that moment."

Papyrus was quiet for the whole entire hour leading up to Natalie's break, gripping either of his arms as his skull pressed deeply into the fabric. When Papyrus finally raised his head, you saw a very happy grin tugging either side of his jaw bone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pic of reader wearing his hoodie again equals Papyrus' soul going all warm, fluttery and happy, but the dummy is still stubbornly convinced he isn't allowed any happiness (Sans is totally going to catch him looking at the pic at some point). Also, being called shortened versions of his name makes Papyrus melt when it's someone he has an interest in.
> 
> Reader liking his laugh? 
> 
> 9999 damage. Papyrus is dead. Reader has killed him. He is now having trouble functioning. Ofc the reader is still oblivious and just assumes that it's embarrassment becuase Papyrus is used to compliments, is touch-starved, etc etc.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update because I'm still riding that burst of inspiration.

Natalie did have some good news on a few possible leads for Sans, since Natalie had heard from her acquaintance Matt that some businesses in the area had openings. And those job openings were being held specifically for monster applicants in order to balance out equal opportunity employment that had been implemented in the city months ago. 

You thought that was a bit odd, since Papyrus had told you just how often Sans went in for interviews and was turned down in the politest way possible.

Maybe Sans just hadn't been looking in to the right areas?

You really hoped it wasn't because he was a skeleton monster.

And of all of the jobs that were discussed at that table?

You, Papyrus and Natalie all agreed that Sans' best bet was to give the flower and gift shop that was owned by Felicity's mom, Ruth. The older woman did business with both humans and monsters, the shop's hours were consistent all throughout the week, and it was quiet for the most part, with inventory and watering taking up a majority of the time. But Sans would have to move quick, because, despite the city being deep into the winter season, the shop was open year-round.

You figured that Sans would do just fine, since he seemed desperate and willing to do anything at this point for a routine that he and his brother said he desperately needed.

That was several days ago.

You weren't sure how it happened or why, but when you went into _Caffeine Fixation_ that Wednesday afternoon, you hadn't anticipated your day ending in broken glass and a unanswered questions.

But seeing Sans burst into the café with a trail of snow fallowing him in was not an unexpected sight. 

You'd figured he'd start up his caffeine consumption as soon as possible.

Despite the lingering stares of customers and staff over the new scar over his left socket, Sans seemed indifferent as he loudly ordered his usual nauseating cup of death. 

Papyrus hadn't joined you today, so you merely finished the sentence you were working on and watched Sans as he shifted front foot to foot waiting for his drink to be made. Sans wore a deep purple sweater with a crisp-looking black uniform covering most of it, his black slacks tucked into the most outrageous purple and black knee high boots you'd seen him wear yet with all those buckles. The heels were rather impressive too, and you had to smother a laugh over the way Sans' arms were tucked behind his back like he was preparing to be briefed on something. Maybe that was how Sans stood when speaking to other monsters in the guard?

Sans gave a curt nod of thanks as he took his cup and doctored it up with sugar and cream before his skull turned to meet your gaze with intensively bright purple eye lights.

Oh dear.

It looked like you were going to be in for a conversation today, instead of Sans just leaving the café like he usually did unless Papyrus was around.

"Y/n." Sans brought his volume down to half so that he didn't attract too much attention to the two of you. "I Am Told That The Owner Of The Shop I Am To Interview At Is Waiting An Informal Interview, And I-" Sans hid behind his coffee cup as his voice lowered further. "I would...ask that you, a human I am somewhat familiar, accompany me. I do not want to give this human any reason to...be uncomfortable in my presence and-"

You were already closing your computer down, having a feeling that Sans was going to ramble for a very long time if you didn't intervene. It interested you that someone so confident in his own accomplishments would be so concerned about an older woman's opinion of him. Was he nervous that he couldn't even get work at a family-owned business?

"What Are You Doing?" Sans demanded as he watched you slide the laptop into your computer bag and stood, tugging on your jacket. "Leaving my presence before I can even finish my request? That is very-" Sans made a funny little gasping sound as you grabbed the wrist not holding the coffee and led him toward the door, laptop bag already slung over your shoulder. 

"I think you just need to go talk to Ruth and see what she thinks of you. She's a really nice person. I like seeing what she brings into the shop." Leading the suddenly sputtering monster down the sidewalk, Sans finally took his hand out of your grasp.

"The interview isn't for another half hour." Sans chugged his coffee down, a flustered expression crossing his face before it evened out into an indifferent one. "There is no point in getting my hopes up when this is likely to end in disaster."

"Why a disaster?" You asked, turning your head to frown at Sans. "You haven't even had the interview yet."

Sans stared at his coffee cup and didn't say anything, a scowl still planted across his features.

It took only five minutes to reach _Ethereal Garden and Gifts_ , and you were a little nervous for the smaller monster because Sans still looked like he wanted to kill a man with his bare hands. You supposed you understood the frustration of applying again and again for a job, only to repeatedly fail to get it. You were very lucky to be able to write for a living and make enough money to afford to live in your apartment with your cats and have enough money for all three of you.

Sans lingered outside the shop, his eye lights roving over the sign as well as the displays.

You discreetly took out your phone and sent a message to Papyrus.

You: _Apparently I'm going to be your brother's moral support for his interview today._

The Cryptic One: _sans didn't drag you away from your work, did he?_

You: _He started stumbling over his words trying to ask me so I just grabbed his hand and left with him. Figured it was easier than having him have a conniption trying to politely ask me to 'accompany' him._

The Cryptic One: _he let you touch him?_

You: _Yes? Why? Should I not have?_

The Cryptic One: _no, it's just. he doesn't like anyone getting close enough to him to be able to do that. how is he now?_

You: _He's acting like he's expecting to be ambushed by a crowd of paparazzi asking him questions._

The Cryptic One: _seems about right with the expectation to be ambushed. but what are paparazzi?_

You: _omg, are you serious?_

The Cryptic One: _no, i'm papyrus._

You stared at the phone for a long moment before you burst into laughter, causing Sans to jump in place and whirl on his heel to bare his teeth at you. You rolled your eyes at the bristling monster. "Your brother just made a joke."

"Of Course He Did." Sans' eye lights focused on your phone, and the fangs shifted back into the scowl it had been before, voice raising back to its usual ear-splitting tone. "HE HAD BETTER NOT BE SNOOZING ON THE COUCH WHEN I RETURN HOME." 

"Fifteen minutes." You said in return. "Ruth likes punctual people, so showing up a little early will give you brownie points with her."

"WHAT ARE THESE BROWNIE POINTS YOU HUMANS SPEAK OF? I SEE NO DESERTS TO BE HAD, SO WHAT ARE THEY?" Sans asked, even as he straightened his outfit fastidiously and stepped up to the door, opening it with a gloved hand.

"It's just a saying that means you'll be in someone's good graces. And you can do that by showing you care about their time by being on time or early." You told Sans as you entered the shop after the monster.

"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY FOOD METAPHORS? I WOULD THINK THAT-" Sans stopped speaking and rushed forward without a word.

You turned your head to the left just in time to see Sans catch an older woman after she had mistepped and fallen down a few feet down a ladder. 

Sans righted the woman and checked her over before narrowing his sockets. "WHEN ON A LADDER, NO ONE SHOULD JUGGLE SO MANY ITEMS ON HAND. IT ONLY LEADS TO POTENTIAL INJURY."

You wondered how long it would take Sans to realize that this woman, with her graying hair, glasses and simple shirt and pants with an apron was Ruth.

"AND WHAT IS WITH THE STATE OF THIS LADDER?" Sans demanded as he inspected it.

The woman, Ruth, cast you a curious look, so you snuck over to her and murmured quickly why you were there, and who was loudly complaining about safety and how dare these flimsy shelves be used.

The next half-hour was mind-boggling that you took a seat to watch the scene unfold.

As soon as Sans realized that he had ben lecturing his potential employer, he immediately started to discuss with Ruth what she should do to better improve the stare of the shop itself. And to let her know that whether or not he was offered a job, it would not stop Sans from doing the repairs himself if humans or monsters were trying to overcharge her for repairs for basic safety. Sans didn't even let Ruth say one way or another if he was hired, since they hadn't even discussed the job. Sans eventually left the shop, a new task on his mind. 

"That boy sure is energetic." Ruth finally said as the two of you watched him stop off down a sidewalk the snow in those high-heeled boots.

"He sure is." You said. "I haven't seen him that worked up before."

"Dear, is that monster former military?" Ruth questioned. There is something in the way he holds himself."

"Yes, he is." You figured that it wouldn't hurt to offer some basic information for Sans' case to work somewhere. "He's been trying to find a job that will take him, but, uh..." Or maybe you weren't helping, but Ruth wasn't saying anything, so you kept on going. "I think he believes that his appearance is what is preventing him from being hired."

Oh boy did you open a can of worms there.

Ruth looked absolutely scandalized.

"Monsters have been on the surface for over ten years and there are still idiots who don't think they're good enough to work for them?" Ruth bustled into the back, speaking loudly about prejudices and then how Sans, while brusque, was the first person in a long time who saw what terrible shape her shop was in. How owning a business didn't make her enough money on her own to make those repairs. Ruth came back out with a two pots and three cups, along with sugar and cream. You almost laughed how, after settling the tray down, carelessly brushed off papers on the rest of the table before pushing up some chairs, and then turning the sign from open to close. "We're all gong to have a long conversation, and by the end of today, that monster is going to have a job here for as long as he likes." Ruth arranged the cups. "Tea or coffee?"

Sans was definitely going to be okay working with this woman.

You almost spat out your tea an hour later when, during your idle chatter with Ruth, Sans returned, and began pulling out all sorts of supplies from his dimensional box with a harassed look as he spoke his grievances aloud.

"IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT HUMANS LACK A DECENCY TO HELP THEIR FELLOW HUMANS. IT EVEN EXRENDS TO DISMISSING A HELPING HAND TO MONSTERS WHEN THEY SIMPLY ASK WHERE TO FIND SIMPLE TOOLS AND OTHER ITEMS." Sans set down a stack of what appeared to be for shelving. "DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE COFFEE AT THE TILE SHOP. IT WAS A MOCKERY OF WHAT SHOJLD BE GOODMGROUND BEANS BREWED PROPERLY LIKE I DO AT HOME." 

You could practically see the mama bear activate in Ruth as she bustled in back. She returned ten minutes later with the largest mug you'd ever seen that you presumed was filled with coffee. Ruth set the mug on the chair near where Sans was seated. The monster gave Ruth a searching look, before you could practically see the tension melt from his frame, and he curtly thanked her for the coffee before staring hard at a page of instructions for what looked like a cabinet of sorts.

You and Ruth helped Sans organize all the supplies he'd managed to jam into his dimensional box. A lot of time must have passed when Ruth finally looked across the shop at a clock.

"I think I can take it from here, dear, if the two of you need to get home." Ruth told you and Sans. 

You looked outside, and saw that it was getting darker.

Whoa.

Just how long had you and Sans been in _Ethereal Garden and Gifts?_

Yeah, you better get going if you didn't want to walk all the way home.

"I'm going to go home then. You good here?" You called over to Sans, who merely waved a hand as he growled at a single screw held between his other hand's phalanges. Just as you made your way to the door, Sans suddenly spoke sharply..

"Y/N!"

Your breath left you in a rush as the smaller monster tackled you. Before you could regain your footing, Sans manhandled you closer to Ruth before he brought up a lot of bones in something of a barrier around you all. You don't think you've seen his magic before.

Glass shattered not a second later.

Sans ground his fangs together and made another wall of bones within the first wall just as something made the magic shudder.

You and Ruth exchanged an alarmed look.

Sans let out a sharp breath, purple magic beading on his skull as his sockets narrowed, gloves glowing as he held up his hands toward the bones.

Cracks started to appear, splintering the bones piece by piece.

Sans held out a bit longer before all of the bones shattered, and he slumped forward. 

You were quick to catch him so that Sans didn't chance injuring either of his sockets by landing on the glass on the floor closest to you.

The front windows of _Ethereal Garden and Gifts w_ ere completely shattered.

"I'll make the call." Ruth said, surprisingly calm. 

You turned to her in a surprise.

"This isn't the first time my shop has been vandalized." Ruth looked around, pursing her lips.

"Those were murderous intent-filled attacks." Sans said grimly.

"Then this would be the first time someone has threatened bodily harm." Ruth went over to the counter on the far side of her shop. "But I don't want you or your friend to get in trouble, so best take a cab and get home before the police arrive."

You carefully stood up, looking at the scattered glass.

"Are you all right?" Sans asked you stiffly, coming to stand alongside you.

"Perfectly fine." Seeing Sans looked unconvinced, you let out a shaky laugh. "Okay, maybe a little rattled."

Sans groaned and pushed away from you at the unintentional pun, but held out his hand to help you to your feet. You felt an odd sensation wash over you as Sans' eye lights stared at you, but the feeling passed, and Sans sighed, looking exhausted.

"You come back tomorrow at ten." 

Sans stiffened up at the sound of Ruth's voice, but he gave her that curt nod of his. 

You were about to exit the shop, but Sans stopped you so that he could leave first, his skull turning to and fro. Like he was trying to figure out where those responsible for the attack had gone. Sans crouched down and stared at something in the snow. You took a step back when Sans shot straight back up, his eye lights barely visible they were so tiny right now as he looked around with a wild look. "Sans?"

"It's..." Sans frowned at the ground around him, posture straightening as he drew himself up to his full height, heels and all. "IT IS NOTHING. MERELY AN OLD MEMORY INTRUDING INTO THE HERE AND NOW."

You supposed that Sans was referring to the dangers of his underground. It wasn't at all surprising how quickly Sans had reacted to an incoming threat, if he had to have his guard up most of the time.

"We should go." Sans gave the immediate area one final suspicious once over before hailing a cab. Sans lowered his voice as he opened the door of the cab. "I don't want you to be alarmed but...I feel that something is not quite right. I won't ignore my senses, so I do not feel comfortable allowing you, my brother's date-mate, to return to your apartment tonight. Not until I make certain I'm only imagining things brought on by unpleasant memories."

Why did Papyrus and Sans manage to make simple words sound so ominous?

The only reason you didn't say no was because you trusted Papyrus' judgement of his brother.

If Sans felt something was wrong, you'd take his word for it. Especially after an attack like you, Ruth and Sans had just gone through. 

"Where am I supposed to stay?" 

Sans opened the door of the cab. "I'll show you."

-x-x-x-

You did not expect Sans to take you to his and Papyrus' home, even if that should have been obvious with the whole date-mate talk Sans was still convinced of. Neither did you expect for their home to be as far away from the city as it was, and out in the middle of nowhere.

Sans seriously walked all the way to the city if Papyrus didn't take him there via a shortcut?

That was some serious dedication to job hunting.

The two of you had had to walk an hour from the cab drop off, and had you not been so awake, you might not have noticed Sans sending suspicious glances all around the surrounding forest. As though he expected the perpetrators of _Ethereal Garden and Gifts_ ' vandalism to show up.

"I Didn't Tell My Brother You Were Coming." Sans said suddenly, looking at the house's front door with faint trepidation.

Again, a weird expression to see on Sans' face.

With a sigh, Sans imperiously waved a hand for you to follow him.

Now _that_ was more of a normal action from the smaller monster, as was the way Sans unlocked the door, only to slam it open and yell through the now open door.

"BROTHER! YOU HAD BETTER BE AWAKE. YOUR DATE-MATE IS GOING TO BE STAYING WITH US FOR AT LEAST TONIGHT, SO YOU ARE TO GO FEED HER BEASTS AT THE APARTMENT! " Sans stomped into the house. "I MUST DO SOME INVESTIGATION OF AN INCIDENT THIS EVENING-" Sans stopped short, puffing up in irritation.

You let yourself into the house and closed the door, turning away to watch Sans march over to a couch.

"MAKE YOURSELF PRESENTABLE!" Sans glared down at a pile of socks, sharp teeth tugging into a grimace. "AND GET THIS INFESTATION OF SOCKS UNDER CONTROL ALREADY. 18. PAPYRUS. THERE ARE..." Sans let out a scandalized gasp. "THERE'S MORE OF THEM?!"

"not so loud bro." Papyrus groaned. 

"I Told You That Your Date-Mate Is Here, So-"

"...what?!" 

You watched as Papyrus fumbled with his long limbs for a moment before he was sitting upright. He was wide awake now, wearing only boxers and a rumpled crop top that was space-themed that proclaimed 'spaced-out' in shimmery letters. The top showed off the lower half of Papyrus' ribs and spine. As soon as the monster met your gaze, you offered a sheepish smile. "Hey, Rus. Sorry to drop by out of the blue."

Papyrus entire skull rapidly went purple.

He abruptly vanished from sight, leaving you puzzled, and Sans completely exasperated.

"AT LEAST TAKE YOUR SOCKS WITH YOU!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole attack at the shop this chapter is just a hint of what's to come (aka tiny piece of plot) but only after more fluff and, you know, Papyrus falling hopelessly in love and readsr not being so oblivious. And then there's Sans, still a stubborn idiot who doesn't realize that protecting and later wanting to be closer to the reader maybe equals something more than just being potential friends with whom he assumed is his brother's 'date-mate'.
> 
> ...I'm totally doing a Papyrus pov for the next chapter. Flustered Papyrus is fun to write.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg this chapter was the chapter that never ended as I edited it. Long chapter update it is XD
> 
> Flustered Papyrus to angst Papyrus to ‘please comfort me’ clingy Papyrus to a suspicious yet tired Papyrus. The reader goes from yammering about their writing to them going ‘okay, I guess I am now comforting my skeleton friend’ (not shown is the reader going ??? and wondering what in the world is going on and would someone please explain?)

I couldn’t believe this.

Dismay and embarrassment warred for how I felt in the moment for y/n to catch me in such clothing.

Why would Sans just decide to bring y/n to our house without forewarning? My brother wouldn’t have done so without good reason, what with that clipped manner he’d been speaking in. 

I frowned darkly around my dim room.

Something had happened, and as Sans had said, he wanted to look into it, which meant he planned to launch an investigation. But that didn’t answer why he thought y/n needed to be at our house. What could possibly have happened that made him want to have y/n out of the city? Why did Sans believe that y/n wasn’t safe in their own home this evening?

I let out a short breath as I realized what it meant for Sans to investigate.

Sans intended for y/n to stay the night in our home.

I...

I was not prepared at all for visitors of any kind. Not with the way my mind had begun to to spiral from a nightmare I’d revisited. One that had woken me early this morning, covered in excess magic and breathing hard with rattling bones. Not quite as bad as regressing into believing I was back underground but enough that I found it hard to function today. It had been a memory from long ago, turned nightmare, which when I’d woken, left me feeling depressed. It had also left me hating myself for what could have been, had I been able to do something to change the past.

Dwelling on the past never did me any good but it didn’t mean that I didn’t think about doing more than I had at times.

“PAPYRUS!”

My door slammed open and shut.

Still feeling off, I twitched in response, my magic half forming within my right socket before it broke, leaving a sharp pain in its wake as I slapped a hand over my socket with a hiss of pain. 

“It’s Just Me, Brother.”

I heard the concern in Sans‘ voice, and despite being preoccupied with the ache, I reached out with my other hand to prevent Sans from reaching my damaged socket, to presumably soothe it with healing magic.

“if you’re gonna go gather intel, you need all the magic you can access, just in case something goes wrong.” 

“I Have Already Used A Great Deal Of Magic Protecting My Now Employer And Y/N.”

“you what?” I froze in place, soul constricting in a painful twinge. 

”Someone Attacked The Shop I Had Interviewed In.” Sans said, watching me carefully. “The Windows Were Shattered, So I Brought Up Bone Constructs To Block The Glass. I Brought Forth Even More When It Felt Like My Constructs Were Being Attacked By Magic. It Was Strong But Not As Strong As My Own.” Sans bared his fangs in frustration. “I Need To Find Out More. See If It Is Connected To The Alley Incident.”

My reaction to Sans’ explanation was stronger than either I or my brother could have anticipated. 

Y/n and Sans...they had been in danger.

My hand dropped from my socket, magic beginning to build up again.

”Papyrus.”  


And here I had been, lazing about the house without a care in the world.

”Papyrus. _Don’t_.”

I got up off the bed and rose to my full height, heedless of Sans’ warning. My magic sparked to life wildly as I sought to unleash all the built up power I had gathered in that moment.

They could have been _hurt._

I wouldn’t have even _known_.

And I had done _nothing_ but stare at the living room ceiling for the past 8 hours.

“Papyrus. Stand down.” Sans said sharply. “You are only going to hurt yourself if you try to use your magic. Trying so moments earlier made your socket hurt. This...this is only going to pass out if you don’t stop.”

I let out a laugh. 

It sounded wrong.

“Don’t make me fight you, Papyrus.” Sans’ voice had changed to a warning growl. “I do not want to hurt you.”

I ignored my brother as I walked over to the wall and angrily lashed out with a fist, my right socket aching as I let out a growl of my own. My fist didn’t reach the wall as Sans wrapped my soul in blue magic, and held me in place. This time, Sans’ voice was cold and commanding.

“Stand down.” Sans kept the blue magic firmly around my soul. “You wouldn’t have been able to do anything to prevent an attack. Even I hadn’t sensed the other monster’s magic until the moment the attack happened.“

I struggled inwardly with the idea of losing more people. Of never seeing them again, like our father, and not knowing their fate of dust or worse. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing someone that I could now protect.  


Excess magic began to gather in my right socket.  


It was another sign of what I had gone through coming to this alternate universe.  


Something I had to accept, no matter how hard it was to face the truth.

The machine backfiring as it sent us here to this world had caused irreparable damage to my socket when it backfired after the coordinates had been entered.

My magic...I knew that it didn’t always work when I wanted it to now. Luckily, that uncertainty didn’t apply to my shortcuts, but in this particular moment?

The blue magic tightened warningly around my soul.

I hissed in return through my fangs.

Whenever my emotions ran high, it tapped into my power as a Judge. But my magic refused to manifest when beckoned, and as my right socket attempted to flare with magic, force it to ignite, it hurt instead.

But with another push, my magic was receptive, despite the pain.

Unfortunately, I let my magic get too far out of hand, and it spiraled out of me like a floodgate being broken. Everything became an agonizing, confusing jumble of a mess as Sans’ voice distorted to the point where I could only tell he was speaking to me but not taking in his actual words.

And it went farther than just a loss of control over my magic.

Deep down, I felt trapped.

I had no way to release my built up magic apart from making use of my short cuts.  


Excess magic began to bead on my bones, and my fangs parted as I let out a frustrated snarl.

It was hot.

Burning, _searing_ pain in my socket flared as I attempted to form some bone constructs to throw at the wall.

Nothing came of it at first, until I felt it.

My power grew to what I was used to it being in the past, and then, my right eye socket finally glowed.

Despite the condensed magic that sluggishly leaked down from the socket, I was able to manifest a single bone construct.

A hand fell on my shoulder to grasp it, along with a tug on my soul.

I violently jerked away, my good eye light extinguished in an attempt to focus all my attention into the glowing one. There was a faint cracking sound but I ignored it as I lashed out at the distorted looking hand that had reached for me again.

Danger.  


I had to defend myself.  


I couldn’t let another monster dust me while I was vulnerable like this.  


With a little effort and some pain, I formed several bone constructs, and while thinner than they usually were, they were sharp. I flung them toward the distorted figure I believed was attacking me and let out a noise of frustration as a few of the attacks were batted aside as the rest sank into the wall.

I had to protect Sans and y/n.

Agonizing pain clouded my mind, but I wouldn’t rest until I had neutralized the threat before me. Two gaster blasters were brought into existence, despite the cracking sound that surrounded my right socket, and specifically in my ribs.

I don’t know how long I sent blasts and bone constructs at my opponent, but I was tiring and the pain was, oddly enough; starting to fade.

But why?

How?

I dismissed my own body’s reaction in favor of the irritating one that danced around me and blocked all of my attacks. But I couldn’t stop now. I had to make sure I didn’t allow this stranger to get out of the immediate area to endanger my brother or the human.

Unease suddenly struck.

My opponent was not attacking me but was in fact making an attempt to subdue me.

I didn’t like the idea of that. Too much could go wrong as a prisoner to another monster. I viciously attacked until I was backed up against something solid.

Danger again.

Baring my teeth in warning, I lunged forward and snapped my teeth at the monster when they got too close. It made them back off and so I took advantage of that and followed after them, one of my hands gripping a too-thin bone construct. Not being injured or even killed by the other monster made me suspicious of their intentions. Through the haze of my out of control magic that made my opponent distorted, I could see them back away, until they suddenly turned and vanished into a darkened area.

Wait.

Where had they gone?

I focused on the spot they had vanished from sight.

A crevice in a cave, perhaps?

Was I in Waterfall ? 

It didn’t feel damp...

I brought a hand to my skull and gave it a shake.  


No...

I was on the surface, wasn’t I?

My hand dropped from my skull as I squinted through the swirling magic spilling out from my right socket.

I was protecting my brother and...a human. Yes. That was what I was doing. I gripped the the thin white bone in my hand tighter as the other monster reappeared from the darkness and this time, I rushed them. I swung the bone, intending to skewer them, only to miss as the monster nimbly hopped over my attack. I felt a jolt of panic in my soul as they kicked a foot off my shoulder and ended up behind me.

Exposed.

Without turning, I directed one of my blasters to intercept the monster, but I sensed something appear in the air to deter the energy blast.  


It left my back wide open for an attack.  


A hearty kick to my shoulder blade sent me stumbling forward with a grunt. Unfortunately, I was unable to regain my balance, and fell face-down.  


Not good.

I hastily pushed myself up to my hands and knees, thinking to throw myself forward until the other monster finally launched an attack. Wincing, I felt a myriad of the other monster’s bullets fall upon me. The attacks tore through my clothing but somehow, all of the attacks missed my bones. But I did find myself pinioned to the ground beneath me.

Trapped.

My socket flared a brighter purple as I prepared myself to summon another blaster or more bone constructs, when I felt something brush against my vertebrae. Jerking my head to the side did no good, as whatever the other monster had around my neck wasn’t going anywhere, especially with their weight settled on my upper back, further pinning me down along with the monsters bullet attacks through my clothes. I scrabbled at the ground with the tips of his phalanges, before I went still over the sensation of the thing around my neck settled against the back of my neck vertebrae and my collarbone.

It felt familiar.

I held perfectly still as I began to sense the magic that was used in...whatever the item around my neck was. Despite feeling drained, I continued to keep my eye glowing, prepared to fight.

Either the other monster dusted me, or I dusted them. I wouldn’t allow anyone to manipulate me as they had in the past.

The magic insistently pressed against my own agitated magic, but I was reluctant to allow it in.  


It could be a trap.

Something tugged at the item around my neck, pulling it up, and that was when I felt fingers pressed against a few of my vertebrae. I jolted at the touch, managing to form a single bone construct to stab at the offending touch.

The bone was caught in midair and broken with ease, disintegrating into sparks of magic.

I writhed against being pinned to the ground by another monster and their bullets, but I was becoming too exhausted from the excessive use of magic to properly shortcut away from this predicament. But I wouldn’t leave, even if I had the energy to do so. I refused to leave leave Sans and y/n in danger.

A voice spoke again.

Now that I wasn’t focusing my glowing eye on my opponent, the voice was starting to make sense instead of being garbled and inaudible. The hand moved from my neck to rest over my glowing socket, blocking out my vision and causing me to flinch, anticipating some form of pain.

No.

I wouldn’t let them do as they pleased.

With a sharp turn of my skull, I bit down hard on whatever I could of the hand that was surely trying to blind me.

A choked sound of pain rose and then another hand...it...it rested over his chest and...

I bit down harder when I realized that the other monster had forcefully drawn out my soul. Blind anger bled into panic as I uselessly made an attempt to free an arm to take my soul away from the other monster’s grasp. But when it was clear that I couldn’t, my jaw unlocked to let go of the hand I’d been biting, and carefully let my head rest on the ground.

Why hadn’t the other monster dusted me yet?

Healing magic suddenly poured out against my soul, causing me to stiffen. I had not anticipated the warmth and worry that seeped in through that magic. I winced as my right eye socket finally stopped glowing purple and my left eye reignited, leaving my right eye blind.

What?

I wasn’t...being attacked?  
  
The foreign magic in the item around my neck finally registered in my mind as it cleared.

It was my collar.

I hadn’t worn it since Sans and I had come to this surface world.  It wasn’t needed, as this universe wasn’t quite as dangerous as our underground home.

Taking a shaky breath and letting it out, my eye light flickered as it adjusted to the gloom of the room.

It was my bedroom.

And that...that was a lot of damage to my walls.  
  
I didn’t think I still had it in me to manifest magic but what I had already managed seemed to have come at a cost. I felt utterly drained and weakened.  


“Papy?” Sans’ voice got through to me this time. “I’ve never see you this bad. Not since we’ve been in the underground.” Sans continued to let healing magic flow into my damaged socket and soul. “It seems...different, than when you relapse into believing we are back home in Snowdin.” 

“i was just lazing around here at home...” I mumbled. “i was doing nothing, while you and y/n were in danger.”

“Is that what that magic output was all about? As much as I know you would have stepped in to protect us, again, I did tell you that I barely noticed in time.”  


Sans gently turned my skull to presumably look at my right eye socket. 

I didn’t like the grimace he made.  


“The crack over and under your socket had widened.” Sans informed me grimly. “ It is still leaking excess magic at present.” Bright purple eye lights fixed on me. “How do you feel right now?”

”like shit.” I provided unhelpfully.

”Charming.” Sans said dryly. “Try again.”

“like i used up all my magic in one go and i feel like i do after...after doing my job as a Judge.” I let out a soft groan at the ache settling into my skull. “why can’t i get up?”

”Had to pin you down because you were fighting with me.” Sans said as he checked my socket again. “Don’t use your magic like that again. I couldn’t get rid of all of the cracks.”

“must have really gone all out for once.” I looked at my soul, seeing the mentioned cracks that were barely held together with Sans’ healing magic. ”whatever you may think about being in tip top shape, your aim is as good as it always is.” I complimented, when I tested the bone constructs holding me down without any of the sharpened ends hitting my own bones.

Predictably, Sans preened at the praise.

I wasn’t so unaware that I didn’t see the way Sans suddenly winced and held his right hand to his chest, peeling the glove off. Guilt seeped into me, my soul nervously twisting on itself as I saw the obvious bite marks that littered his already scar-covered hand.

I really hadn’t been in my right mind, thinking that my brother was some random monster that may or may not have been responsible for the attack on _Ethereal Gardens and Gifts_. I angled my skull to see that Sans still held my soul over his uninvited hand.

“Despite your coherency, I need to know where you are at threat-wise.” Sans told me seriously. “You were too far gone to tell me earlier how you were feeling, being non verbal when you attacked.”

I lay there quietly, thinking about it.

”Be certain of your assessment.” Sans added. “I do not want you to be around y/n if you are in danger of a relapse on top of what you just went through.” 

“high before.” I muttered after a minute of dwelling on how I felt. My claws dug against the floor. “then moderately high.”

“And now?” Sans prompted.

“between moderate and moderate high.” There was no point in lying about it. I did not trust myself around anyone right now. Not even my own brother. “i...need some time alone to  calm down.” Being a threat to family and friends always put me in a rough spot mentally, so I did need to be alone to sort myself out. Company would be nice once I didn’t feel like striking out any longer.

“Then I will postpone my investigation until you feel the risk is gone.” Sans studied my soul for a moment, eye lights lingering on the thin hairline cracks before returning it to me. “If I remove the constructs to allow you up, will you attack me again?”

I considered the question before I shook my head. I was too worn out and said as much. “haven’t used that much magic since the underground. don’t think i’ll be able to stand up for very long, so no.” The bones sticking into my clothes vanished at once, and I slowly pushed myself up, only to fall back on my coccyx with a shaky exhale. Once I felt steady, the first thing I noticed was that my crop top and stupid bbq themed boxers had been ruined beyond repair. I let out a disgruntled sound. 

Sans didn’t look very sorry about the loss as he rummaged out a plain long sleeved shirt and some knee-long track shorts for me to change into.

Just to delay the inevitable throwing out of the ruined fabric, I pulled on both articles of clothing given to me over the ones I was already wearing.

”I will inform y/n that you need to rest after overworking yourself.” Sans said as he watched me with a careful look, as if to be certain he wasn’t missing any other signs to indicate my current mood. He didn’t even say anything about the clothes, which told me he really was concerned.

I didn’t point out that rest would not do much for me, as it was highly likely that I could experience a nightmare after such a large outpouring of magic. But rest I would, just to humor my brother. With a groan, I rose and shuffled over to my bed to gracelessly flop onto it. I didn’t move when Sans carefully covered me with a sheet and then a blanket, tucking me in snugly.  The collar remained on after I gave a shake of my head to Sans tapping it with a phalange. 

I would use the silence and comfort of the bed and the calming magic in the collar to remind myself that everything was okay.

No one had gotten hurt at the shop, I told myself firmly.

Sans’ hand would bear more scars from my sharp fangs but he would regain use of it after a few short healing sessions.

Y/n and Sans had merely been given a bit of a rude shock.

My sockets closed as I slowly exhaled. I felt the mattress dip, signaling that Sans had sat on it, and didn’t stir as a cloth was brought to my right socket to wipe away excess magic.

I didn’t realize I was so worn out that I fell asleep to no nightmares, and only roused at a knock on the door. 

“low to moderately low.” I mumbled drowsily, presuming that it was my brother coming to check up on him.

”Rus?”

I stilled, and despite my half-asleep state, I knew who was on the other side of of the door.

Y/n.

“Sans said that he had meant to ask you a question before he left the house to look into that attack on _Ethereal Garden and Gifts_. I think he might just be checking in on Ruth despite it being after closing time. Something came up and he left before he could do that so he asked me to do it for him.”

I couldn’t find it in me to speak.

“He said that you needed more alone time if your answer wasn’t low to none, or you didn’t answer.” Y/n was quiet on the other side of the door for a moment. “It sounds like it wasn’t a good day for any of us. Other than your brother finally getting a job, of course.”

I sluggishly turned my head and raised a hand toward the door, thinking to open it with blue magic, but decided against it, after what had happened earlier.

Sans was right to have me keep to myself until the possible threat was minimal.

“You’re probably still asleep, but that’s okay. Sans did mention that it was possible that you might not be awake for a few more hours. I guess this is one of those off days where you stay home. You know, the ones where you usually text me those terrible jokes you found online.”  


I was frustrated that I was so weak from my sudden outpouring of magic earlier that I couldn’t even speak after that first whispered mumble. I could only...shake and rattle my bones, but as nothing was truly wrong but my own overreaction and subsequent magic use, I shouldn’t overexert myself.  


I wouldn’t worry y/n, if they didn’t know what the sound meant. But at the same time, I didn’t want to leave y/n all alone in my and my brother’s house.

Not that I thought there was anything to hide from them.

It was more I felt bad for leaving y/n in this kind of a situation. It was probably very strange, especially for a human, to be...brought to a monster’s home without any warning, and without an invitation beforehand.

“I don’t think you’d mind, but maybe I could talk about the idea I have for my next novel? It isn’t one from a series. It’s going to be a stand-alone novel. I still haven’t quite pinned down the genre but I really am warming up to the main character I wrote up the other night...”

I listened to y/n as they began to list off the character’s redeeming qualities, the flaws and the motivations before delving into the setting. I began to drift a little, sockets closing as I listened to the sound of y/n’s voice. Y/n continued on and on despite believing I was asleep, and it made me remember something I’d come across online. I did a lot of reading online and in a few books I’d followed up with. It didn’t take a genius to tell, or sense, in my case, that y/n was talking to me because they were nervous. Apparently, some humans took comfort in talking aloud to calm themselves down.

It really didn’t matter whether or not I was awake to hear their words. But it was soothing to listen to a voice taking to me. So much so that my sockets closed again, and the next time I opened them, Sans’ eye lights were studying my own curiously.

No nightmares, again.

It was a relief.  


”There You Are.” Sans said, sounding relieved. “You Slept A Long Time. It’s 7 in the morning now, and I will have to leave soon to get to my new job on time.” Sans crossed his arms. “Threat Level?”

“none.” I whispered, skull aching as I miserably turned to bury my skull into the pillow. With how I was beginning to feel, I did not actually want to be awake. My bones ached terribly, and my socket was so sore it made me want to rattle my bones.   


Footsteps walked away, which was a little surprising.   


I fully expected Sans to insist I get up out of bed.  


The footsteps returned, but they sounded different, as did the presence that accompanied it. There was also a knock on my open bedroom door.   


“Rus?”

I shifted to allow my left socket to face the door to see y/n standing there before burying my face back into the pillow. It was...not so bad to have them here, but I wasn’t really fit for company, even if I had control over myself.

”Can I come in? Or do you still need to be alone?”

I considered the questions, and hated myself for the way I was so weak that I couldn’t even properly greet y/n with a response other then a soft pained sound.

”Do I need to go get Sans?”

I shook my head before forcing myself to turn onto my side to at least give yes or no responses with shakes of my head.   


“I could go help your brother with breakfast but he insisted that I come check on you for him.”

Interesting, since Sans had already done so.

I raised my skull, considering y/n standing there in the doorway, and made a decision. I held up a hand and made a beckoning motion to let them know they could come in.

”I hope I didn’t wake you up last night with all my chattering about my novels and characters.”   


I shook my skull. I had enjoyed listening to y/n’s voice, even if I couldn’t fully recall all that had been said to me last night.

”That’s good.” Y/n smiled at me.

That smile made my soul flutter and I honestly didn’t know what to think about that with the state I was in, but...it was nice. It made me feel a little better, that I’d made y/n happy, despite being unable to answer them.

”Rus?”   


My eye light rose to meet y/n’s gaze, and I felt some unease at the worry that appeared in their expression.

”You’re...crying.”

Was I?

I focused on my sockets, and found that I was indeed crying out some magic.

Hmm.

I didn’t recall anything prompting it.

“don’t know...why.” I managed to say aloud, my voice a hoarse rasp.

”You don’t always need a reason to cry.” Y/n say down on my stool that was being used as a computer chair. “But it is nice to get it off your chest and feel a little better.”

I buried my skull back back into the pillow as the damn waterworks continued on in earnest. I didn’t even hear y/n get up off the stool until there was a hesitant hand on my closest shoulder a few minutes later.

”Want me to go?”

I shook my head, arms moving up to grasp the pillow to hide the tears.

”I can offer a hug? Natalie and I sometimes hugged it out during a sob fest, since we didn’t have any family to talk to. Uh...you don’t seem to mind when we hugged before so if it would-“

I moved without thinking, desperate for some distraction to make the sudden sadness leave so I could attempt to function. I rested my skull on y/n’s lap, arms wrapping around their waist as I closed my sockets tightly in an attempt to slow the tears of magic.

”Or this works too.” Y/n sounded a little surprised at my actions, but that was soon a moot point when a hand hesitantly rested on top of my skull. “Is this okay?”

I bit back a whimper at the wonderful sensation of having my skull gently pet, and issued out a very quiet ‘yes’ but bit off saying ‘please’ and ‘don’t stop’. I did let out a shaky sigh when y/n tugged a blanket over my lower body before both hands gently pet over my skull in gentle strokes. I shifted, careful to keep my fangs from resting against y/n’s thigh, not wanting to accident graze the sharp teeth against them. At most I might want to offer a nuzzle in return for being comforted.

Time seemed to come to a still, and bit by bit, the crying slowed to a halt.

I should have predicted Sans picking a terrible time to check in on me, but at the very least, my sockets were closed for it.

”Y/N, I AM GOING TO DEPART FOR MY SHIFT AND...AH, EXCUSE ME.”

I let out the faintest growl at the interruption but didn’t do much more than that as y/n seemed to ignore it as they responded to Sans.

”Have a good day. And let me know if you find what you’re looking for. I would like to get back home to my apartment so I’m not intruding here for long.”

“IT IS NO TROUBLE. AND IT APPEARS THAT PAPYRUS IS FINE WITH YOUR PRESENCE.” Sans directed his next words to me. “WHEN YOU FEEL WELL ENOUGH, MAKE SURE YOU FEED THE BEASTS AT HER APARTMENT. AND LOOK FOR ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS OUTSIDE OF THE FRONT DOOR.”

”sure thing, bro.” I mumbled, finding myself rather drowsy with the repeated sensation of warm fingers running along my skull. Sans said something that I missed, but I was drawn out of my blissful relaxation by one of y/n’s fingers gently poking one of my cheekbones.

”So, Rus, do you have any idea what Sans was on about?” Y/n asked in a rather conversational tone. “Cause he just said that he wanted to ‘receive a text’ if you got up to any funny business with your date-mate.” 

I took a calming breath and let it out.

”Rus?” Y/n asked. “I think he was just teasing us since your head is on my lap...”

I sent a wave of irritation with my soul in the direction of Sans’, and received a not sorry at all pulse in return.

”Are you doing better now? Sans left breakfast out for both of us.” Y/n asked.

I nodded and sat up, allowing y/n to stand up. I tried not to think about how I bemoaned the loss of their touch. I was just...I was just in need of reassurance after experiencing the nightmare yesterday and expanding so much magic last night. A text message delayed me in following after y/n, and I went to go pick up my phone from the nightstand.

Sans: _PLEASE REFRAIN FROM OVERWORKING YOURSELF. AND AT LEAST TRY TO FOLLOW THE DATING GUIDE BOOK BEFORE YOU TRY TO SLEEP IN THE SAME BED AS YOUR DATE MATE._

I changed Sans’ name to ‘Nuisance’.

Nuisance: _YOU COULD ALWAYS GET THEM FLOWERS. I READ THAT HUMANS LIKE THEM. AT LEAST PROPERLY WOO THEM, BROTHER._

I did not dignify that with a response as I left my room. My phone dinged again, and I reluctantly checked it.

Nuisance: _PERHAPS I COULD GIVE Y/N FLOWERS, SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THAT IDEA. I AM STILL WILLING TO SHOW YOU HOW TO PROPERLY SECURE A DATE MATE, EVEN THOUGH YOU SEEM TO BE DOING WELL ENOUGH.  
_

I internally groaned. I had honestly hoped that Sans would have given up on that now that he was not injured any longer, and had a job now, but it seemed like it just wasn’t to be.

Nuisance _: ARE YOU WELL? DO I NEED TO DELAY WORK UNTIL TOMORROW?_

I sent a message back.

Papyrus _: m’fine bro. but how long are you going to insist y/n and i are date-mates? we really are just friends._

Nuisance _: RESTING YOUR SKULL ON THEIR LAP, YOUR ARMS AROUND THEIR WAIST, AND DROOLING ON THEIR THIGH SEEMS TO INDICATE OTHERWISE.  
_

Had I...done that?

I hoped not.

That would be...a little embarrassing to explain but when I was relaxed, I tended to do what humans would term drooling, but with magic and not saliva.

My phone lit up again.

Nuisance: _BEHAVE YOURSELF WHILE I AM GONE, MONGREL. I WILL NOT BE DRAWN AWAY FROM MY NEW JOB BECAUSE YOU FIND YOURSELF UNABLE TO CONTROL YOUR DESIRE TO BE HELD IN Y/N’S ARMS._

That settled it.

I was going to murder my brother in his sleep tonight, and let Sans know it. 

Papyrus: _don’t sleep tonight_

Nuisance: _WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU? WARNING ONE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS WILL ONLY RENDER THEM USELESS._

Papyrus: _we’ll see about that_

Nuisance: _WE BOTH KNOW THAT IS A LIE AND YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING OF YOUR OWN WILL. STAY SAFE WHEN YOU GO TO Y/N’S HOME._

Papyrus: _will do. keep an eye out and let me know what’s going on tonight_

I pocketed my phone and went to go join y/n in the kitchen, but as I did, I slowed down as I felt unease trickle down my spine. An unnervingly familiar sensation passed over my left shoulder blade that gave me unpleasant reminders. An itch began on the bone in a very specific spot, and I restlessly looked out the windows in the living room.

Snow.

There were no footprints in the drifts, and no souls that I could sense in the immediate area. I gave one final searching look out the window before turning away. Despite what my Judge’s senses were telling me, I did not see or sense anyone but myself and y/n. My body still felt so weak, and because of this, it was entirely possible that it had led to the feeling of being watched moments before.

I was just...imagining things.

But that itching sensation on my shoulder blade remained, and I didn’t like that it was doing that. I would have to confess something to Sans that he had not been told yet, (last reset he’d known and...he’d been so furious). I was not looking forward to that conversation, but I needed to know. I needed to have Sans check. I had to know. Was the scratched out sigil as dead as it had been when we left via the machine? The mere thought of the sigil acting up made me ill, and brought back very unpleasant memories of the underground. Of the cold and unforgiving presence of the Queen, and my own role as the Judge.

I turned my mind away from such things, and decided to focus on y/n. As was usual for me, dwelling on the past would do me no good, and I didn’t want to be useless to anyone today, especially since I was to feed y/n’s cats.

It would be good day, whether or not I felt completely well. With that in mind, I pushed back my worries and joined y/n in the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Papyrus and by extension, Sans. Neither can catch a break and both really need professional help, but it won’t happen for some time. Mainly because of the whole situation to ‘fly under the radar’ and ‘not draw attention to themselves’, which isn’t working out so well as of late.
> 
> I can’t tell you how impatient I am to get to a certain section of this fic, but I must focus on the romance and fluff that needs to happen first aka relationships before the shit hits the fan.
> 
> Also, if there is anything glaringly wrong in the chapter, let me know. I spent many hours editing this, so hopefully I didn’t miss anything.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe some fluff and cuddles are in order, though some jealousy makes its way in too.

Eating a late breakfast with Papyrus normally wouldn’t have been so out of the ordinary, had it been at _Caffeine Fixation._ But breakfast at his and Sans’ house, after spending the night at Sans’ insistence?

Yeah.

You felt that was most certainly out of the norm, more so because you didn’t usually sleep over at anyone’s house. At least not since you were a kid and slumber parties were a thing. But even then you never really cared for those, mainly due to the other kids hanging out with each other while your nose was in a book in a corner somewhere.

”is the food okay?” Papyrus’ voice was soft this morning, likely due to whatever the heck had happened upstairs once he’d vanished via one of his shortcuts.

Sans had insisted everything was fine but you’d seen him favoring one of his hands. And from the sound of what had to have been growling...it made you wonder what had set your friend off. 

“y/n?”

”It’s good.” You said automatically, cutting up another piece of pancake with your fork. “I haven’t gotten get the chance to eat monster food for awhile.” Seeing Papyrus prodding a cake on his plate, you added, with a smile. “It tastes the same as human food but it’s more...magical.” 

That made Papyrus let out a snort of amusement before he dropped his fork and let out those ridiculously cute ‘nyeh heh’s.’

Seems like you tickled his funny bone.

It made you feel good to be able to cheer him up, especially when Papyrus still laughed as you continued to methodically make your way through the rest of the pancakes.

Papyrus finally calmed himself down after another minute of mirth and finished his own food.

You noticed that as Papyrus ate, he was watching you instead of his food.

This led to Papyrus occasionally missing the space between his parted teeth and squashing a piece of pancake on his teeth, and occasionally, his lower jaw.

“Something on my face?” You asked after another few misses.

Papyrus’ good socket blinked, his other attempting to but not going anywhere but a brief twitch. Then, Papyrus dusted a light purple across his nasal ridge before finally staring down at his plate. He ate the remainder of the food with his eye light firmly on the fork.

You almost snorted in amusement like Papyrus had earlier when he sheepishly rose, grabbed a napkin and ducked into the kitchen with both his plate and yours. Water could be heard, so you took the opportunity to get up and go change your clothes while Papyrus sounded like he was doing a marathon of cleaning the dishes. You were pretty sure Sans had already done most of the dishes, but if Papyrus wanted to busy himself after jabbing himself in the face with food, that was his choice. 

Standing in the bathroom, you realized that you didn’t, in fact, have clothes to change in to. In those rare instances that you spent a night at Natalie’s, you always had an overnight bag. With the way Sans just brought you directly here, you hadn’t had the chance to get said bag. Yesterday evening had been so out of the ordinary you hadn’t even brushed your teeth. You just slept on the couch after insisting the blanket and pillow there were fine, because no,, Sans, you weren’t going to sleep with Papyrus in his bed. That would have been encroaching on his personal space.

Though after you’d been hugged around the middle by Papyrus the night before, you’d certainly been tempted to stay there until he fell asleep again. He’d looked completely exhausted after whatever his deal with Sans had been.

Since there was no reason to be in the bathroom right now, you exited, only to find Papyrus standing right outside the door, hand raised as if to knock.

“I just realized I didn’t have any time to get a change of clothes before Sans brought me here.” You told your friend. “I didn’t even get to feed Tally and Sashay their dinner.”   
  
“i can go get you a change of clothes if you tell me where to find it.” Papyrus said, relaxing against the wall outside the bathroom. “my bro did tell me i should go feed the kitties when i felt up for a longer shortcut.” 

“You could take me with." You suggested, because really, what did Sans think was going to be at your apartment?

Ninjas hiding in the ceiling waiting to drop down on you?

“i’d rather you stay here.” Papyrus said, some worry seeping into his voice. “sans hasn’t shown any reason for concern before this, so for him to insist you stay with us for a little while...” Papyrus ran a hand over his skull with a sigh. “it means that he has sensed something he felt was wrong. i trust my brother’s gut feelings.” Papyrus teeth parted a little in a grin. “well, we don’t actually _have_ guts but you know, the saying gets the point across, yeah?”

“Sans does seem pretty uptight." You agreed. "More than when I usually see the two of you at the coffee shop.” You had noticed, for once, one of Papyrus’ nervous tells. The one where he plucked at his clothing with the tips of his fingers, claws getting stuck in the fabric now and again. You decided to go along with whatever was going on, as you figured information would be forthcoming once Sans finished his ‘investigating’. And you weren’t going to lie to yourself when you knew that this was the most excitement you’d had in years.

Not that being attacked at a shop or having a wounded Sans come to your apartment was the kind of excitement you wanted, but it was certainly different than your usually clockwork routine.

“If you’re going to go, let me get my key.” Stretching, you walked past Papyrus and went down the stairs. Papyrus tagged along after you as you reached the cost closer and dug through your pockets to pull out some keys on a key ring with a charm of a feather attached to it. You passed them off to Papyrus, before picking up a pad of sticky notes from a small table nearby. Using the pen lying on the table, you scribbled down feeding instructions for Sashay and Tally, as well as where to find the clothes you wanted. You hand the note over to Papyrus, who stared at it for a moment before nodding.

“i’ll be back as soon.”

It still amazed you when Papyrus just popped out of existence, as if he hadn’t just been standing a few feet away from you.

But now that Sans and Papyrus were gone...the house was a bit too quiet for your liking.

Funny, since you usually adored a silent home after listening to music or a podcast while working on your novels.

After you decided to keep to the living room, and once you had perused the two bookcases, you dug out your laptop, plugged it in, and sat down on the couch. It was relaxing to not write about anything in particular at the moment, as you just wanted to try to get a feel for one of your new characters. You must have been very immersed in what your character was doing, because Papyrus’ voice suddenly broke into your thoughts. 

“...sure get focused when you type.” 

“Mn?” Eloquent, you were not, when preoccupied with typing. You saved what you’d written so far, and glanced up to see Papyrus standing next to the couch with a small smile.

“brought you some clothes.” Papyrus held up a bag.

“Oh, right.” Seeing it, you got with the program, setting your laptop down on coffee table before taking the bag with a quick “Thanks, Rus” before you went upstairs to change. When you walked back down in a comfy sweater and track pants, you found that Papyrus had made himself at home on the couch, stretching out and grinning mischievously, his single eye light flickering merrily in the socket. 

“You must have really missed the couch last night.” You teased. “Are you going to take a nap to catch up on lost time? I know how much you love that couch from all those texts.”

“i am very attached to this couch.” Papyrus told you solemnly, his tone at odds with his grin. “it molds perfectly to my body to maximize comfort and extend my laziness.”

”I’m sure Sans appreciates you slowly being eaten up by the couch cushions.” 

“if i don’t make eye contact with my bro then i can’t know he’s disappointed by me taking laziness to an art form.” Papyrus tucked his hands behind his skull. “but he lets me know with sticky notes all over my skull if i happen to doze off for too long.”

”Can I join you on the couch or do I need to take my laptop to a chair to allow you to continue molding perfectly to the furniture?”

Papyrus let out a rather dramatic sigh through his teeth, as if the effort of moving was just to much to bear. But he ended up sitting up and scooting to one side of the couch to allow space for you.

Picking up the laptop, you sat down. It wasn’t long before Papyrus slowly scooted across the couch to lean up against you and rest his jaw on top of your head, almost seeming to nuzzle your hair. Giving your head a light shake, you continued to type away at your keyboard. 

Papyrus made little hums now and again, as if content to be quiet and let you type.

“Did Tally and Sashay show up when you got their food out?” You asked some time later, feeling that Papyrus had leaned more heavily against you. You felt his jaw move against your hair when he responded.

“both actually made an appearance.” Papyrus confirmed. “though only tally seems to be warming up to me. sashay stayed well away from me and only went to the food once i was outta the kitchen.”

“At least she decided to grace you with tolerance of your presence.” You patted his nearest knee. “If she was still suspicious of you she wouldn’t have even shown herself.”

“good to be cautious.” Papyrus murmured.

“Probably a good idea. You don’t want to get scratched. I don’t know how much intent to harm a 9 pound cat has.” You were pretty sure that Papyrus didn’t mean your cat, but gave him an out if he didn’t want to pursue the topic.

“yup, don’t wanna be dusted by a kitty.” Papyrus sank back both into the couch and your side. “don’t think my bro could avenge me because a cat wouldn’t understand it did anything wrong but protect itself.”

“Want to see a funny video?”

”sure.”

The somber feeling slowly left, until both you and Papyrus were snickering at bad puns and jokes being rattled off in a robotic computer voice. And during one of those silly cat videos, you began to doze off against Papyrus.

Who knew your friend radiated such warmth?

You vaguely felt your laptop being moved off your lap, and then you yourself being rearranged on the couch to settle back against Papyrus. You sleepily snuggled closer into what felt like a hug, mumbling something before drifting off. You weren’t sure how long you took a snooze on the couch with Papyrus, but at someone tapping your shoulder persistently, woke you up. With a yawn, you squinted up at Sans, who was staring down at you with an unreadable expression. The monster’s eye lights wavered a little in the sockets before Sans stepped back and silently beckoned you with a hand.

What _was_ it with Sans and Papyrus doing that?

You noticed a soft raspy sound and realized that you had been curled up against Papyrus’ side beneath his arm. The monster was fast asleep, his skull hanging off the side of the couch at an awkward angle. It never crossed your mind to be worried about falling asleep around Papyrus, since you trusted that he wouldn’t do anything. You definitely wouldn’t have been so easily able to fall sleep around another human, apart from those you knew really well. 

Sans somehow managed to make it sound like he was clearing his throat.

So impatient.

You got up off the couch and gave Sans a quizzical look, but he merely brushed past you and rearranged his brother on the couch. In short order, Papyrus was laid out across the couch, and no longer in danger of getting a kink in his cervical vertebrae. Sans automatically arranged a blanket from the back of the couch over Papyrus. Sans stared down at him for a moment, before looking at you and jerking his skull imperiously toward the kitchen as he marched off toward it without a backwards glance.

Sans was...a bit of a weirdo, but it didn’t bother you. He might be little stiff and awkward when interacting with people, but you found that overall, the shorter monster was nice in his own way.

You humored Sans and followed him into the kitchen, surprised when you stopped short at the monster holding out a small vase with purple flowers to you.

“Take it.” Sans prompted when you just stared at him.

”What’s the occasion?” You decided to try and tease the uptight monster.

What a great reaction it was.

“No occasion.” Sans said as he pressed the vase into your hands, though his face faintly dusted purple. Sans awkwardly walked over to the coffee pot, grumbling under his breath. “Papyrus is far too lazy to get flowers for you, so I did it for him.”

You stare at the flowers in the slim glass vase, before lifting your gaze to the back of Sans’ skull. He seemed really tense as he paused in making coffee, as if just remembering that he needed water. You had to smile because Sans was not subtle at all.

Flowers from Papyrus. 

Sure. 

You were fairly certain that if Papyrus ever decided to give you flowers, he’d just pluck a random one from somewhere, poke it into your clothing or hair somewhere, and then spout off some well-placed joke or pun. These flowers in the vase were specifically from Sans to you, and you weren’t quite sure what to think of that. He’d never shown any interest in you more than speaking to you on very rare occasions, and only seeking you out at times after helping Sans while he was injured.

Maybe...the flowers were Sans’ way of thanking you from that time? 

You carefully set the vase down on the kitchen table. Not sure if Sans had the same startle response as Papyrus from being snuck up on, you made it obvious that you were walking over to him.

Sans, for whatever reason, made an effort to not turn toward you while he fussily measured out the coffee grounds. 

Thinking about how much Papyrus appreciated hugs, you wondered if the same held true for Sans. After making sure that Sans was still aware of your presence, you carefully wrapped your arms around his middle, and tugged him backward to your chest for a quick hug. Sans went stock still, but since he didn’t pull away, you gave him a gentle squeeze as you rested your head against a shoulder. “Thanks for the flowers, Sans.” At a splutter trying to deny it, you held Sans a little tighter.

Sans’ protests died off as his fingers reached out to lightly claw at the counter.

“I’m pretty sure we both know that Papyrus is more likely to just randomly grab a flower outside than actually buy anything.” You prodded a finger to one of Sans’ ribs through his shirt. “So don’t deny it. I figure you got the flowers at Ruth’s shop, since it was your first day of work there. It’s been awhile since I’ve had any flowers, so thanks again.”

Sans’ fingers tapped against your arms, so you let go of him. The monster abruptly turned away but you still caught sight of the mostly purple skull as Sans went back to the coffee.

You took mercy on him and sat at the table in the kitchen, as you waited for Sans to get himself back under control.

Maybe he wasn’t as interested in hugs as Papyrus was? 

Sans was quiet as he waited for the coffee to be brewed, and when he brought two cups to the table, his face was set in a neutral expression.

You took a sip of the offered coffee. Of course Sans paid attention to your orders, as the coffee was exactly the same as you ordered it. You didn’t even want to begin to think about how much sugar Sans had put into his own mug.

There was a awkward silence that passed before Sans hesitated, as if going to speak, but didn’t. Instead, he slide a small bag across the table to you.

”Two gifts in one day? You shouldn’t have.” You teased, seeing the faint dusting of purple, a slightly different shade of purple than his brother’s, reappear across Sans’ face.

”Just Open It.” Sans grumbled as he hid behind his coffee mug.

“All right...” You opened the bag, and found a charm on a keychain inside, black and purple in color. It almost looked like a friendship bracelet, but it was rectangular in size and about three inches long. “I thought only date mates gave each other little gifts?”

“Gifts can be given among friends and acquaintances too.” Sans must have anticipated such a tease, because he didn’t outwardly react apart from the tinge of purple remaining around his nasal ridge, and his voice dropping to a quieter tone. “While more common around Gyftmas, there are times when something is necessary to be given to another. This is one of those times.” Sans pointed at the charm. “I made that with my magic and some specially made fabric I had in my inventory. It’s intended for you to keep on hand in the event you are bothered by those who attacked Miss Ruth’s shop, or if any danger befalls you. I will be able to sense that through the charm. I would have insisted that Papyrus make one for you, but at present, his magic isn’t the most reliable.” Sans looked uncertain for the first time. “Will you keep it with you? It will...some other monsters may be able to sense the magic, but they won’t be able to tell its me, unless they are familiar with my magic."

“What will it mean to other monsters?” You asked.

“That you’re under my protection and there will be consequences should anything bad happen to you.” Sans said simply.

“Erm...is that okay to be carrying around?” You wondered. “Won’t that make other monsters nervous?”

“Only ones who would do you harm.” Sans said as he stared at his mug. “I believe most would merely be curious.”

You decided to keep the charm, and Sans seemed relieved. But you couldn’t help but notice that his nerves didn’t go away, as Sans glanced in the direction of the living room. “This charm isn’t going to cause any problems with Papyrus, is it?” 

”It would be more likely that he’d want to bring you back to the couch for another round of cuddles.” Sans told you dryly.

“I don’t mind. There isn’t any funny business going on.” You shrugged, not seeing why enjoying someone’s company would be a problem. “I like that I can relax with someone and not worry about there being anything else expected to come out of it.”

Sans was quiet as one hand reached up to touch where you’d rested your head against his shoulder, before he let his hand drop as a soft sigh came out as he went back to his coffee.

You might have imagined it but Sans almost looked sad about something. “You know, if you could hold still long enough, we could always chill on the couch too, if you’d like.” You marveled at how quickly Sans’ face became purple as he pushed away from the table and got up to get some more coffee. You weren’t letting him off that easily. You thought you might have discovered something new about your friend’s brother. 

Despite being completely rigid when you’d hugged him, it seemed like Sans might want contact too?

You couldn’t believe these two monsters.

Here they were, going into a city where they were surrounded by other monsters in the city, and opportunities to meet up with them. Papyrus and Sans could have that chance to relax around other monsters. You knew that many of your monster friends would greet one another with hugs and were just generally happy to hang out together. Then again, Papyrus and Sans did seem to keep to themselves. Papyrus, who was always watching the people who came and went in _Caffeine Fixation_ and Sans, who always seemed to be on constant alert.

What had happened to them that they kept themselves cut off from other monsters? 

“You didn’t answer me, you know.” You pointed out. When Sans didn’t answer, you got up and went over to scoop the mug of coffee out of his grasp.

Sans whirled on you with his fangs bared.

”Human!”

Whoops.

You forgot how possessive Sans was of his coffee. So not only did you get the fangs, but you were also treated to a growl as Sans seized you to pin you backward against the counter to reclaim his mug. 

“Sorry, forgot.” You offered, and added to the apology by hugging Sans to you. The growls turned into those awkward spluttering noises. You soon heard growling again, and wondered if you pushed it too far with Sans. You glanced down, and realized that it wasn’t Sans growling. He had frozen up against your chest, and the lights in his sockets were to the side and pinpricks. Sans had even began to urgently ease away from your embrace. Glancing over Sans’ shoulder, you saw that Papyrus was the source of the growling. His good socket no longer held any light within it. There seemed to be a spark in Papyrus’ damaged right socket instead.

Sans carefully drew himself from your hug and slowly, almost warily, moved to the far side of the kitchen, his eye lights on his brother the whole time.

You straightened up and stepped away from the counter, which caused Papyrus to turn his skull back to you. Still no light in his socket, so it was a little unnerving as he unsteadily walked over to you, and stared at you for a moment. You think Papyrus may have even sniffed you, when he leaned in close to your hair. You wondered what the heck was going on now, but you let Papyrus gently lift your hand into his larger one. The hand where you held the charm Sans had given you minutes before. 

Papyrus touched it with the tips of a few phalange, quiet for a moment as his head cocked to the side. Then, you jumped when Papyrus swung his skull toward Sans and let out an honest to goodness snarl.

You didn’t even think as you reached out to wrap your arms around one of Papyrus’ as he pivoted his body, as if intending to lunge for his brother, who had begun to inch toward the living room.

Sans reluctantly stopped moving, but kept his back to the kitchen wall. He glanced at you, and then, with a sharp exhale, spoke aloud in a different language to Papyrus.

There was a short pause before Papyrus responded in the same language, but in an oddly clipped way as he took a menacing step toward Sans, but didn’t go further as he seemed aware of your arms around his.

Thinking quickly, you tug Papyrus’ arm, and when his skull turned toward you again, you reached up and poked him in his nasal cavity like you’d boop one of your cats’ noses.

This seemed to snap Papyrus out of whatever mood he’d been in as the monster glanced between you and his brother. Papyrus let out a long breath as he slid down to his knees on the kitchen floor, causing you to let go of his arm in the process. With a shake of his skull, Papyrus wrapped his arms around your waist and pressed his face into your stomach.

O...kay?

What was that all about?

You glanced over to Sans as if he might provide an answer and found that he looked tense. But Sans, after a long moment of surveying you and his brother, he let out a huff and retrieved his coffee cup. 

“You Need To Get Your Senses In Order, Brother.” Sans commented before he swept out of the kitchen. "And Your Soul."

As soon as Sans was gone, you pocketed the charm and then patted the top of Papyrus’ skull. “Rus, are you all right?” 

“...was half awake.” Papyrus mumbled as he pulled his face away from your stomach, his arms still loosely wrapped around your waist. Papyrus looked up at you with a now-there eye light, before the purple light flicked to stare down at the floor. “m’fully awake now. monster instincts can be a...pain in the coccyx.”

You didn’t think the tiled floor was all that comfortable for him. But you didn’t tell Papyrus to get up, and instead sunk down to the floor as well so that you could coax him into a proper hug. Papyrus happily let you move his arms up around your shoulders and laughed as he pressed his face into your collarbone. “You know, I can hug your brother too. I was just thanking him for the flowers and the charm. Sans told me that you couldn’t make it for me, and I called him on the flowers as not from you.” 

“I could get flowers for you from outside once the snow is gone.” Papyrus teased, confirming your earlier suspicions as he snuggled closer to you with a slow sigh. “i know...that i can’t make the charm. i just...don’t like reminders that my magic is not working as it used to. and bein’ half asleep, only to sense magic and then smell sans all over you from that hug. it made me feel...”

“I didn’t realize monsters paid so much attention to scent.”

Papyrus was quiet.

“Something I should know?” You prodded.

“...monsters can get defensive around others they take a...liking to.” Papyrus muttered. “and to smell another monster’s scent on them...it makes it difficult to remind myself that I’m not in my underground, and i don’t actually have to worry about those scents meaning anything...”

You were sure there was more to it, but Papyrus didn’t seem to be willing to divulge that information right now. He had fallen silent, and in that moment, seemed more interested in seeking comfort from you. That was fine, since you were more than willing to give it. But still...this wasn’t the first time Papyrus had acted this way around you when his brother was near. It was almost as if he were possessive of anyone but him being around you. But you had been in the coffee shop alone with Sans before, as well as yesterday at _Ethereal Garden and Gifts_ so...what exactly was going on?

Next time you were on your computer, you were going to do some research.

For right now...

”Brother! If You Insist On Being So Close, At Least Make It To The Couch.”

”okay.”

You gasped in surprise as you felt that dropping sensation in complete darkness before you found yourself back in the living room, sprawled out on top of Papyrus. You couldn’t help but start to laugh as you lightly swatted Papyrus’ sternum as he grinned in return. “We could have just gotten up and walked, you know.”

”nah, too much work.”

Papyrus relaxed after you slid off of him and the couch to go retrieve your laptop. After surveying the couch and your friend, you settled yourself between Papyrus’ legs and leaned back against his chest.

Sans gave the both of you a long, searching look before he stomped off to go up the stairs to his room, muttering crossly under his breath the whole entire way.

You turned your attention back to your laptop and resumed where you had left off with that new character. At some point while typing, one of Papyrus’ arms hesitantly wrapped around your waist.

“okay?” The monster asked in a barely there whisper.

“Mm-hmm.” You hummed distractedly as you snuggled closer against Papyrus. Honestly, being able to have contact with someone else was a nice feeling, and since you knew Papyrus wouldn’t do anything but enjoy the cuddling in return, you could let your attention wander back to your story and characters. 

Papyrus rested his jaw on top of your head again.

An odd sound of clacking bones made you pause mid-sentence. ”Are you all right?”

”...m’fine.” Papyrus breathed against you hair, his arm tightening around your waist before loosening as he pulled out his phone from his inventory with his other hand. 

You went back to your keyboard.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d almost think Papyrus sounded wistful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader, cuddled up with Papyrus: It sure is nice to be able to platonically cuddle with monsters because they don’t make it weird like humans do. 
> 
> Papyrus, slowly dying on the inside: wants to wrap his arms around reader, hold them close to nuzzle them, and confess he wants to be more than friends with every passing day but denies himself because he doesn’t want to a) scare reader away and b) still thinks he doesn’t deserve happiness. Happy fluttery fluffy feels as worries vanish when he gets another hug *and* gets to cuddle on the couch a second time.
> 
> Sans, short-circuits after being given a hug: eh, probably doesn’t mean anything, immediately giving reader a charm that basically will let him know if they are in trouble. Sans then clueless as to why Papyrus is suddenly all jealous because hey, just making sure your date mate stays safe. No other reason. Sans ends up thinking about the hugs some more after seeing reader and papyrus lounging on the couch. Nope. No reason for Sans to want to lounge on the couch with reader when reader already has his brother.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some of you wanted to see an interaction with classic, so that time has finally come (classic Papyrus will show up at some point but not yet). It isn’t going to be the best first impression, because classic doesn’t exactly have a good view on anyone with high lv. Classic has been through hell and back in a past that included many genocide runs before the pacifist route stuck, so seeing someone with high lv isn't going to do classic any mental favors (As an FYI, I’m going to have SF Sans refer to classic as ‘Judge’, since SF Sans has no idea about him being the ‘classic’ Sans but SF Sans certainly feels the similiarity in power that his own brother has).
> 
> This chapter is mainly a SF Sans 1st POV chapter, with a brief 2nd POV from reader after the scene break toward the end.

The shelves had been restocked.

All the flowers, watered.

The register was closed and balanced.

All that was left of my duties for the day was to bid Ruth farewell for the evening. It had become a habit of mine, left over from before I had become captain of the royal guard. Checking in with your superiors was important, and in my home, it was a matter of respect. Following protocol also allowed one to live longer, when proving loyalty to a cause, as well as obeying orders when given one.

A year living in this surface world, and I still couldn’t allow myself to believe that I was not bound by those rules. They had been engraved in me after many harsh punishments, when I wasn't up to par with what had been asked of me.

To think that there would be no repercussions for being a minute late to _Ethereal Garden and Gifts?_

To not have worry about being stabbed in the back, or to be punished for not following orders properly?

It felt like a dream.

But I felt it necessary to have some familiaity in place, so I followed a strict schedule, which allowed my nerves to be reassured. I knew that I was more likely to be offered a break with a coffee than a lashing for a mistake regarding an order, but...

Old habits died hard.

I struggled to keep the stiff way I marched to a minimum as I approached Ruth, who was wiping down the counter.

”I have finished my tasks for the evening.” I told the human, unable to prevent the automatic clasp of hands behind my back while making reports. “There is a new shipment coming in soon?” 

“This weekend, yes.” Ruth put the cloth away and looked at me with fond exasperation, as if already knowing my train of thought. “Shipments come in all the time.”

I frowned at that, thinking back to the attack on the shop weeks ago. A shipment to the store would be the perfect time to launch another assault. It was a pattern that would happen back home in my underground, more often than I care to admit. I slipped my work gloves off, only briefly eying the several gouges that ran across the backs of my hands, before raising my gaze to Ruth as she spoke again.

”If you’d like, you can come to the shop before the shipment arrives, if it’ll give you peace of mind.” Ruth suggested, removing her apron and draping it over her arm. 

“I will do so.” I said curtly, and, realizing my hands were clasped behind my back, I relaxed my stance. 

“I can lock up this evening.” Ruth said, disappearing into the back before returning with a thermos. 

I raised a brow bone at the offered item.

”You're walking home today, aren’t you?” Ruth pressed the thermos into my hands. “It’s coffee with extra sugar. I noticed you didn’t take all of your breaks today, which means you skipped several cups and lunch.”

“Thank you.” I said stiffly, taking the thermos. I was still getting used to interacting with this human, but Ruth made it easier by treating me withh the same respect I showed her. She didn't treat me like I was only my scars and cold demeanor. Only y/n had seen past my scars and mannerisms before, as well as my brother, who already knew why I conducted myself the way I did around others. 

Most everyone else in this universe turned away from what they saw, without bothering to ask or know what I had to offer.

Only three had given me the chance to prove my worth.

That two of the three were human was a surprise.

”Have a good night.” Ruth said, as I headed for the door, lost in thought.

I raised my hand in acknowledgment before exiting. I waited for Ruth to lock the shop door behind me, before I swept down the sidewalk, senses on alert as I drank some of the coffee.

It was good.

Almost better than _Caffeine Fixation_ ’s brew.

But even the taste of caffeine did nothing to detract from the sudden realization that I was being followed.

I did nothing.

Not yet.

It was my intention to get a better sense of my sudden shadow.

I continued down the sidewalk, not giving any outward indication that I knew I wasn’t alone. After all the effort that I’d put into finding a culprit responsible for the attack on the shop I was now employed at, it was only now that something happened. I was not sure if my sudden shadow had anything to do with it. I would pursue this new source was once I got a better sense of whether it was a monster or human lurking behind me.

If I had made a mistake and sent y/n home while danger still lurked, Papyrus was going to dust me.

My fangs clenched together hard, frustrated at the idea, but continued to walk. A few minutes more of being stalked, and I was able to discern that whoever it was, was another monster.

But this presence...

The longer it followed me, the more I became aware of how eerily similar it felt to the way my own brother would stalk me in the past. When Papyrus didn't bother to mask himself from my senses.

This shadow of mine wasn't Papyrus.

It was subtlety different.

My whole body was tense now, as if anticipating an attack.

Nothing happened.

I kept my senses on high alert, feeling compelled to deal with this monster now, and not lead them to my home. It would not do to bring trouble to our doorstep that we might not be able to deal with on our own.

Before I could figure out how to confront my shadow, my shadow made the decision for me.

I had not anticipated a short cut.

It disoriented me.

I stumbled a short distance away when I came out of the void, into an alley, but I automatically turned on my heel to face my stalker. But it didn’t go any further than that, as my soul was suddenly wrapped in blue magic, halting me in my tracks. I bared my fangs wordlessly as I was pinned against the nearest wall. That had been a sloppy mistake on my part, allowing an opponent, a monster opponent, to get a hold of my soul. My claws, without any gloves on them, dug lightly against the brick behind me. 

”heya.” An eye light blazed cyan and yellow in the dark of the alley.

I held still, ceasing my struggles as the eye light drew closer. I stiffened further when I saw that it was another skeleton monster. A monster that looked unnervingly similar to myself in appearance but with a wide grin containing no fangs. But those clothe...I would never be caught dead in a blue hoodie, track pants or those horrendous pink slippers.

"been meaning to have a chat with you but you’re kinda hard to pin down." The other skeleton continued on, as if they were having a friendly chat, and didn't have my soul wrapped in blue, trapped. “already had one with your bro, so i guess we know why it took so long for me to talk to you." 

I bristled and bared my fangs wider.

This monster had been able to corner my brother long enough for a conversation?

And Papyrus hadn’t told me about it?

I surmised he’d been forced to make a promise in exchange to perhaps not be taken in for questioning about those dead humans in a case that I knew was still active.

“talked to your bro about the whole incident in the alley. the one with all the dead humans?" The skeleton continued on, unconcerned with my attempts to free my soul from their blue magic. The other monster's magic didn't waver, and seemed to even tighten around my soul. "guess he didn't mention that to you?"

I ceased my movement as the increase in magical pressure around my soul left me breathless and deeply unnerved.

This monster...they may resemble me somewhat, but they reminded me much more of my own brother. The short cut, and the powerful amount of magic that held me in place without much effort...

They were dangerous, despite their non-threatening appearance.

"your bro wouldn't let me check him, but did make a promise, once i laid out the options he had at the time." The skeleton eyed me. "i gotta feeling that a promise won't mean the same thing with you, so i'm gonna ask to check you instead." 

I bristled over the very idea of some unknown monster checking my soul. I only allowed my own brother to check me, and, when necessary, Alphys, my lieutenant, or Undyne, the queen`s royal scientist. I shuddered to think back on the single time the queen had checked my soul. 

”there is still an investigation into the humans’ death.” The monster said, when I didn’t say anything. “i’ve been asked by the king to check the lv of monsters who live in the area, and the only left is to check you. then i get the fun task of checking humans.” The skeleton had one hand in their pocket, the other held out toward me, to control the blue magic. “let me take a look, and you can go, so long as you don't cause any trouble.” The monster’s glowing eye socket narrowed. “though i got a feeling i won’t like what i see.”

I feel the insistent press of a check brushing up against my magic. I felt I only had to ask one question before making a decision, because the magic that held me in place was very reminiscent of Papyrus’. I recalled, then, my brother telling me that he’d been cornered by a skeleton with the powers of a Judge, the night those dead humans had been found in the alley. I steadied myself and made eye contact with this monster. “YOU ARE THE JUDGE?”

Whatever the other monster was expecting, it wasn’t that.

I wondered if I should be concerned with the way that grin set in a strained manner.

”would knowing that make things move along here?” The monster asked after a moment of silence, regaining the easy grin.

I stared at them, my silence answer enough.

”check me.” The monster said.

I did as requested, careful to keep it quick and unobtrusive. 

Following orders was easy enough, even if I didn’t always care for them.

But I wasn’t in the royal guard of this universe, nor was I working for any royalty as this monster was. This was someone who was had authority over me as a monster, whether I liked it or not. I didn’t know what I expected to see, but it wasn’t my own name, along with such low stats and HP. The text filtering from one line to another, however, was somewhat concerning.

*The Judge

*He’s waiting for you to give him a reason

To Judge me, I presumed.

I could already feel the sins I committed in the past rising to the forefront of my mind, making my bones rattle softly in unease. I closed my sockets briefly, shoving back discomfort and memories, before I stopped resisting, and allowed this other...Sans an opening to check me. He _was_ a Judge, like my brother, and currently following orders from his king. I understood duty to the crown, and if this Sans was anything like my brother, it was possible that he didn’t like the powers of a Judge.

I frowned.

Where had that thought come from?

Had Papyrus told me he didn’t like that job?

“well, i guess that works too.”

I still didn’t entirely understand what being the Judge did to a monster, but I knew what it entailed. I knew that they were the ultimate authority next to the king, or queen, in matters of judging another monster’s fate. Despite not being from this universe, I knew of the responsibility to do as one is ordered, so I allowed the check this once. Perhaps I should have done so with stipulations, because the magic became a painful grip on my soul the longer the check went on.

The other Sans...the glow in his left socket flared brighter, before his socket narrowed. 

I remained completely motionless.

This universe wasn’t as soft as I thought, if this LV 1 monster was close to attacking _me_. 

“i sure hope your bro doesn’t have as high a lv as you do. it might make that promise he made to me harder to follow.”

Sans...this Sans standing in front of me, who was not me...I needed something to call him. It was weird thinking of him with my own name.

He was a Judge...so, Judge he would be to me.

How dare he insinuate that Papyrus wouldn't uphold a promise. Regardless of LV, my brother would never break a promise. 

“i don’t know how i feel about such a high lv monster walking away.” Judge gave me a hard look, as if considering not releasing my soul from his hold. “i don’t want to find out what happens if you lose control to lv.” 

I kept the offense at those words from getting a rise out of me. I had been on the surface for almost an entire year, and I hadn't lost control once.

“you look like you disagree.” Judge drawled.

I did, but I wasn’t going to give any tells away.

Judge could check me all he liked, but he would never find out that I had killed two or three of those humans in the alley. I am not certain self-defense in the case of a high LV monster would work in this world, and I didn’t want to chance being separated from my brother. I knew it might still come back to haunt me, but I wasn’t going to give Judge here the satisfaction of bringing me in for questioning. If anything came of my actions, I wanted any future confession to be of my own free will.

”lost in thought, pal?”

I blinked my sockets at Judge, before letting out a put upon sigh, claws scraping restlessly against brick. “YOU HAVE CHECKED ME. I AM NOT SURE WHAT MORE YOU WANT FROM ME.”

”are you saying i shouldn’t be concerned with someone whose lv is at 16?” Judge’s tone was serious as his glowing eye light swept over me, as if expecting me to lose control at any moment. “really tempted to not let you go without assurances. how are you still sane with lv like that?

“DISCIPLINE, CLEARLY.” I state archly. “KEEPING BUSY WITH WORK. HOBBIES.” I settled a glare on Judge. “A HIGH LV CAN BE MANAGED QUITE EASILY WITH PROPER PRECAUTIONS, AS WELL AS STRICT SCHEDUELES, WORKOUTS AND SPARRING.”

“...i have no concrete proof yet of who killed those humans, but i’m pretty damn sure that you, and your bro, are the only ones in this city with such high lv. i may not have seen your bro’s stats, but his magic feels heavy and sharp, like yours.” Judge kept his gaze on me. “there are humans that have lv, and i still need to check those who live in the surrounding area...but that’s really just to rule things out. there was residual magic found at the scene, so it’s likely the culprits are monsters.”

I remained silent, neither offering input nor damning myself by acting aggressively.

Judge watched me carefully for a bit longer, before he released the hold he had on my soul. Judge offered an exaggerated shrug before sticking his hands into his pockets and relaxing. 

I fell for the bait like a foolish baby-bones.

Before I could even wrap him in my own blue magic, to demand answers to some questions of my own, Judge vanished from my sight.

Pain torn through my body at a single tap of a weak bone attack against my shoulder. It sent sent me gasping, sharp and in agony, to my hands and knees. Another weak attack rapped against my back, sending another round of agony straight to my soul, which caused me to collapse onto my side. 

What had...what had _that_ been?

This draining sensation...this sharp burning...it didn't match the 2 damage that had been dealt to me.

“i hoped you'd be smarter than that." Judge said with a sigh. "did you really think i'd let a high lv monster like you get a hold of my soul? if you wanna talk more, you come find me in one of the pubs in the city, any time starting tomorrow.” 

My initial assessment of Judge being dangerous had been correct.

I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, so I quietly lie there on the alley floor while I waited for the pain to dissipate.

"if you give me a reason when we cross paths again, or i find evidence, i’ll make sure you’re brought in for questioning.” Judge said from somewhere overhead. “you’re not a suspect at present, but now that i’ve got a sense of your magic...i’ll know if something happens.”

Dangerous and clever, like Papyrus, when delivering a threat.

I felt blue magic settle around my soul before I was yanked up to my feet.

"and one last thing, while i got you hanging around."

I doubted I could stand on my own right now, which was likely what Judge was aiming for, while holding me aloft with his magic. I felt disorientation as Judge used a short cut, confirming the excess magic he had compared to my own. Strength in battle meant nothing if one’s magic was so powerful that it was able to stop an opponent in their tracks.

I hung there, inches from the ground, but I did not feel any more of my HP being chipped away.

Judge leaned in close, a dangerous growl in his laidback voice. “if you don’t want to have a bad time, you better hope you don’t gain new exp or lv the next time i see you.”

My soul was released from the blue magic, and I struggled briefly to regain my balance. 

"if there's any murders you wanna confess to, now's your chance."

I didn't 'murder' so I wasn't missing a chance to tell how I'd been protecting another monster, and had killed in self-defense. It did make my investigation into who had killed the other humans more urgent, if a judge was involved in the city's investigation.

"welp, can't say i didn't give you the option."

When I looked up, Judge was gone.

I was alone, back on the sidewalk, standing in the darkness with only street lamps to light my way. The longer I stood there, the more I realized that those two attacks from Judge had severely weakened me somehow. When I checked my HP, I was shocked to find it at a third of what it normally was.

No wonder I’d collapsed earlier.

I didn’t want to go home, on the off chance Judge would follow me. it didn’t matter that he let his presence be known, to let me know he was on the opposite side of the city. With shortcuts, Judge could go anywhere in my vicinity, now that he was familiar with my magic signature. And I was weak enough right now that I didn’t have it in me to mask my presence. 

I needed to rest and recover...but where?

I couldn’t ask Papyrus to come take me home, because he hadn't been having a good day when I left this morning. And I didn’t want to trouble my employer, Ruth, to give me shelter while I let my HP recover. Would...would y/n allow me to rest at their apartment? I’d already taken it upon myself to mask both my brother and myself’s presence, so that we could show up without another monster’s awareness. Coupled with the charm I’d given y/n, it would be the safest place for me to be right now.

I probably should have asked y/n before warding their apartment, much like I had done with Ruth's shop. But with the threat of potential attacks weeks ago, I'd acted in how I believed would best protect y/n and my employer, until I tracked down the culprits.

Decision made, I took out my phone, and sent a text to y/n, to see if they would be amendable to my presence, until I felt well enough to ask Papyrus to take me home. I needed to take my mind off of my confrontation with Judge, before I did lose control of my LV. I could already feel it rise up within me, due to being backed into a corner by Judge, soul trapped by his magic. I was ridiculously grateful to receive a text, banishing the discomfort I felt for a time.

Human y/n: _I’m headed home from Caffeine Fixation._

Only a few blocks away from where I was.

I sent a message back saying I would accompany them home, and I did just that. I hesitated outside of their apartment, however, as y/n undid the lock of their front door. “Is The Offer To...To Laze About On A Couch Still Available?”

”Yes?” Y/n gave me a look, but thankfully, didn’t question why I would willingly sit down for any length of time. “So you want to just hang out for awhile then?”

”Yes.” I said stiffly, as I followed y/n into their home.

”Can I time you to see how long you can sit still?” Y/n asked in a rather teasing way.

”It Is Possible For Me To Sit Still For An Extended Period Of Time.” I informed y/n archly as they closed their door. But I almost proved myself wrong when I took in different areas of the apartment that I could see that needed cleaning or tidying. My sockets twitched, jaw bone setting at the sight. Not nearly as bad as Papyrus but...

“Nope, no cleaning.” Y/n said.

I allowed y/n to practically drag me over to the couch, and I accepted that I would not be cleaning anything that night, and I would instead attempt to...relax. As loathe as I was to rest, my HP being taken down to such a low level surely contributed to me being able to 'relax.' I was horrified to find that I almost enjoyed relaxing, and I was even...comfortable on the couch with y/n. My soul fluttered a little with how close y/n was by my side, even if they were checking something on their phone, and keeping a polite distance between us.

I felt more calm, and I didn’t know why. Maybe relaxing and holding still for a time was a good thing?

I would never tell Papyrus I thought so.

Stars knows he'd nap even more than he already did.

I sank further back into the couch with a slow sigh. I was worn out after both the work at the shop and the confrontation with Judge, and his warning. Maybe closing my sockets for a little while would be okay?

I hadn’t meant to fall asleep.

It led to me waking up in a rather unfortunate situation.

I very carefully kept my sockets shut, and my body motionless as I deduced two things in that moment. The first was that I was lying on the couch with my skull resting on y/n's lap. The second was that my brother just so happened to be there too. A third thing I noticed was the way y/n was gently running their fingers along the top of my skull. My soul warmed in a worrying way, and I held still when I heard Papyrus shift on his feet.

”I didn’t think he would fall asleep.” 

Y/n must have been talking to Papyrus before I’d woken. 

“I meant to tell him that you and I had planned to watch a movie tonight.” Y/n continued to trace their fingertips over my skull. “He didn’t seem...all there, Rus. He didn’t seem like his usual self. Sans asked to come here. He willingly came here to _relax_ , even though he looked like he wanted clean or organize my apartment." Y/n's fingers stilled. "Sans fell asleep within minutes, Rus. That doesn’t seem...normal for him, from what you’ve told me about him and what I’ve just seen.”

“i can take him home. my day ended better than it started.”

I heard that Papyrus' words were carefully controlled, so that anyone other than I wouldn’t be able to tell he was upset.

“A good enough day to come back and check out this new movie with me?”

"yeah."

I inwardly rolled my eye lights over the happy tone that entered my brother's voice. Damned mongrel needed to get his instincts under control, so that he wouldn't constantly take a swipe at me for being around y/n. It wasn't like we were date mates, y/n and I, even if I had found them to be a calming influence after my meeting with Judge. 

"You know, we could let your brother stay here until he wakes up."

“i’ll make sure my bro is all right before coming back. it'd be better for him to wake up to familiar surroundings."

So Papyrus did pick up on my unsteady LV.

If my brother were to check me right now, and see my HP, I doubted he'd leave my side until he knew I would be all right, whether I'd be fine in minutes or days. I let myself remain limp as Papyrus gathered me into his arms. I felt the familiar magic of his shortcut, and instead of Papyrus unceremoniously dropping me to the floor, he instead sat down, likely on our own couch, and squeezed me in an tight, unexpected hug.

”what happened?” Papyrus’ voice was terse.

Upset, but not at me.

I must have been worse off than I thought, to think jealously over y/n’s time would be more worrisome to my brother than me actually willingly taking time to rest.

”I met the judge of this universe.” I sighed, not bothering to open my sockets. “He’s a lot more like you, even if he resembles me.” I held a hand up to Papyrus’ sternum. “I...need more rest. Go watch the movie. I am not in any danger of dusting. I merely received a warning.” I could all but feel the magic that wanted to blaze from Papyrus’ right socket, but was unable to manifest it, as evidenced by a pained hiss.

”what did he do?” Papyrus demanded. “your hp...”

”Is slowly going back to where it belongs.” I managed to free myself from Papyrus’ sudden worried hug, sockets opening. I swayed on my feet, only remaining upright due to my brother reaching out to steadying me. I stepped back and took a breath. “Go. You have a movie date with y/n?”

”s’not a date.” Came my brother’s expected response.

”If that is so...if you truly are not date mates with y/n, then do not get so territorial when I decide to meet with them.” Even if it hadn’t been there much earlier, I’d sensed it over the past few weeks. “You know that I would not have so easily fallen asleep somewhere had I not truly needed it, with or without y/n present.”

“...you tell me that i should follow what my soul tells me, but you don’t follow your own?” Papyrus asked in a quiet voice.

”Whatever do you mean?” I asked, perplexed as I settled down on a chair nearby.

”you didn’t even notice the way your soul reacted to lying there with your skull on y/n’s lap?” Papyrus asked me dubiously. “you didn’t sense the way your soul practically bared itself when they were...were petting your skull?”

”No?” I should have known better to lie to my own brother, when the Judge in him would see that lie for what it was.

“do you want to be their date mate, even when you keep insisting that i am?”

“I did not say that, though I feel I must inform you, in case you have forgotten, that polyamory was rampant in our underground, when it was safe to have multiple mates.” I said archly, crossing my arms. “Right now, I merely mean earlier occasions where you have been defensive. I want for you, brother, to either accept that you want to be date mates, and tell them, or for you to stop being so defensive when I happen to talk or visit y/n.”

Papyrus was quiet.

I looked at him silently in return.

Predictably, Papyrus turned the direction of our conversation back to the state I am in.

”when i come back, i want to know more about what that other sans-“

”Judge.” I supplied, getting a faint smirk from my brother.

”what _judge_ said to you, and why your hp looks like he beat the shit out of you with his shitty stats.”

I gave a curt nod, careful to hide my fatigue from Papyrus. I would not lie to my brother about Judge, as he hadn’t told me to withhold information about our meeting. Judge had likely gotten part of his promise out of Papyrus to include their meeting, along with whatever else held him to silence. I hated to think that it involved me, but it was entirely possible.

Papyrus lingered in the living room, watching me closely, before apparently being satisfied that I would be all right.

He vanished from the house.

I wouldn’t say anything more on the matter of my brother asking y/n to be date mates with him.

I could feel it in Papyrus’ soul that he didn’t believe he deserved anyone in his life like y/n.

Fool.

There was a small part of me that felt guilty that y/n’s soul, without their knowledge, had been close to my own earlier, comforting me. Many long buried emotions rose within me only to be quashed down firmly. If Papyrus didn’t believe he deserved a date mate in his life, then I was even less likely to deserve one.

I growled crossly under my breath.

Why was it even crossing my mind to think about the way y/n’s fingers felt petting my skull had made me feel...relaxed, instead of defensive, of someone so close to me that they could have potentially caused me harm.

It didn’t mean anything.

I wouldn’t pursue thoughts of these kind while I was still off balance from my meeting with Judge.

With that in mind, I decided to storm around the house, determined to clean everything in sight until I collapsed from exhaustion. I wasn't so far gone, however, that I would deign to touch those filthy socks of Papyrus' that continued to multiply as the days passed. 

30 of them.

 _30_.

I stared down at them and all of the sticky notes for a moment, before a terrible idea crossed my obviously tired mind. I was not thinking clearly, but I also couldn’t help it. It had been far too long since I’d seen pranked my brother.

A manic grin crossed my fangs.

I knew exactly what to do with such an offensive sight that was those horrid socks. The decision helped me to be aware of but ultimately ignore the signs of my LV attempting to surface once more. I resisted the demand that I satisfy the urge of agitated magic that churned close to the surface, longing to lash out at something.

There was no second-guessing my decision.

My only regret was being unable to see Papyrus' face when he saw the photo I just taken and sent to y/n.

-x-x-x-

You received a text message from Sans partway through the movie, half leaning against Papyrus. You let out a snort of laughter, and Papyrus craned his head down to look at you.

"care to share the laugh?"

"Your brother sent me a photo." You snickered. "It looks like he's been murdered by your sock collection."

"a tragedy." Papyrus drawled, before his eye light seemed to focus and he stared at you in confusion. "did he slip on them?"

"Nope." You turned the phone toward Papyrus. "Your brother is kind of dramatic, isn't he?"

The photo showed Sans sprawled out on the floor, the socks all methodically arranged so it looked like he was being smothered by the errant socks.

"...but he..." Papyrus' eye light brightened as his sharp teeth parted in shock. "he _hates_ anything dirty on or near him. why would he...?" Papyrus quieted, looking unhappy about something other than his brother suddenly allowing dirty clothes to hang off his person.

Your phone pinged, indicating another message.

Papyrus gently held the back of your hand so that he could stare at your phone with a blank expression. He then let go and sunk back into the couch, speaking flatly. "i think i broke my brother."

You stared down at the second photo that Sans had sent you.

Okay, you did not expect to see Sans in his bathroom, a wild look in his sockets. His eye lights were larger than their normal size, taking up about half of his sockets. The reflection in the mirror showed that Sans was surrounded by disinfectants of all kinds.

Sans had sent a follow-up text.

Caffeine Addict: _INFORM MY BROTHER THAT I WILL BE INDISPOSED FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING. HE WILL HAVE TO FEND FOR HIMSELF FOR DINNER._

You relayed this to Papyrus, who let out a sigh.

”i’ll go make sure sans doesn’t bleach skull into dust.” Papyrus popped out of existence from the space next to you on the couch.

An hour later, you received a photo from not Papyrus, but Sans.

The photo showed Papyrus dramatically stretched out across the entire couch, covered by all of his dirty socks. One arm hung limply off the side of the couch, his phalanges holding a tiny jewel skull, while the back of Papyrus’ other hand was held just so against his brow bone.

Caffeine Addict: _PLEASE TELL MY BROTHER TO GO BACK AND WATCH THE MOVIE WITH YOU. HE WON’T STOP QUOTING SHAKESPEARE AND I FEAR I WILL DUST HIM IF IT GOES ON FOR MUCH LONGER._

You cracked up at the texts that came from Papyrus, followed by another one from Sans.

The Cryptic One: _oh poor Sans, i knew him well, y/n_

The Cryptic One _: exit left, pursued by older brother_

Caffeine Addict _: HE IS BEING INSUFFERABLE, PLEASE TAKE HIM BACK FOR THE EVENING. HE IS NOW HARASSING ME WITH HIS DIRTY SOCKS, AND IS USING THEM AS HAND PUPPETS TO ACT OUT HAMLET._

That had you laughing for a good long while at the mental imagery of _that._

When Papyrus didn’t return to your apartment in the next hour, you grew concerned, and sent him a message.

You: _Is everything all right_?

Papyrus messaged back about fifteen minutes later. 

The Cryptic One: _gonna have to take a rain check on the movie. you were right, about sans not being well. I should have known better_

You: _That's fine. I'm glad you went to go check on him. Your brother is more important than a movie._

You received two texts from Sans hours later, right before you went to bed.

Caffeine Addict: _MY THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE AT YOUR HOME THIS EVENING._

Caffeine Addict: _I AM AT YOUR COMMAND, WHENEVER YOU REQUIRE IT, FOR ALL YOU HAVE GIVEN MY BROTHER AND I._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ended the chapter with a little humor, while also trying to (prob vaguely) convey that Sans isn’t okay after his meeting with Judge.
> 
> This chapter is already really long, so I don’t have time to unpack reader’s reaction to what happened/Sans’ last two texts. That will be covered in the next chapter (where reader finally starts to acknowledge that they might feel more than friendship for Papyrus, and the mental gymnastics that come with all that pondering).
> 
> Hoo boy though. I believe that the shit hitting the fan is still a ways out, so enjoy the fluff and awkward attempts of these three to understand/realize feelings to eventually give voice to them before things come back to haunt Sans and Papyrus.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well what do you know, Undertale Papyrus decided to make an appearance sooner than I thought. As an FYI, this is another split chapter POV, where it begins with reader and ends with SF Papyrus.  
> 

What an unexpected morning you’d had.

It started off normally enough, feeding your cats. But it changed from the norm of thinking about you novel as you began to puzzle over Papyrus and Sans' actions from last night. This included Sans' last two texts, especially the one where he stated that he was at your command for what you had done for him and his brother. 

Why had that text seemed so...formal?

Like it was a declaration of sorts?

After walking circles in your mind and coming to no useful conclusions apart from directly asking Sans, you'd decided to go for a walk through the park. It would do some good for you to clear your mind on the way to _Caffeine Fixation_. You would do some work on a new novel idea before you'd go back to dwelling on the mystery that was Papyrus and Sans. You were curious over why Sans seemed invested in making sure you were taken care of, if he and his brother weren't around.

You hoped that the attack on _Ethereal Gardens and Gifts_ was a one time hate crime toward monsters, as terrible as that was. You hoped Sans never had reason to track you down through that charm he gave you, because you'd very much like to avoid any trouble like that, thanks.

A bus ride took you closer to your destination, and then you were on your way to the coffee shop by way of the small park nearby.

That was when the unexpected happened.

You met a tiny monster child hiding in a pile of snow behind a bench toward the area of the park that lead back to the streets. The monster somewhat resembled a bird, cute and fluffy with its light blue feathers and a dark blue and white striped shirt that their little wings poked out of. You didn't think you should leave a monster child all alone, and with only minimal coaxing, was able to get the monster to come onto the path.

So there you now were, walking with a bird-like monster child who had an adorable snowflake design around its face. You didn’t think that you’d be able to concentrate on writing when you now had to figure out what to do about a monster child following determinedly in your footsteps. You felt you ought to bring this kid to the monsters that were a part of the royal guard. There were small stations scattered throughout cities and towns within range of Mt. Ebott, so now you just had to find out where that might be.

Thankfully, you didn’t have to go that far, because you were suddenly hailed by a jovial, booming voice that reminded you a great deal of Sans’ piercingly loud tone.

“AH! HUMAN! I SEE YOU HAVE A TINY FOLLOWER WHO HAS BEEN LOST FOR THE ENTIRE NIGHT AND PART OF THE MORNING! THEIR FRIENDS HAVE BEEN QUITE WORRIED!”

You stared in quiet surprise as a tall skeleton monster waved at you from the end of the path. Tall like Papyrus was, but bursting with an obvious enthusiasm, bright and happy, that the monster you knew couldn’t pull off. This skeleton monster approached you, dressed in a red sweater and blue jeans, with a long red scarf wrapped around his neck. Up close, you could see that his teeth were flat, and nothing like the sharp fangs Sans and Papyrus had.

“ARE YOU WELL, HUMAN?” The monster asked, coming to a stop in front of you. “I KNOW MY AWESOME AND COOL APPEARANCE CAN RENDER SOME PEOPLE SPEECHLESS!” The monster placed a gloved hand to his chest, his scarf seeming to flutter despite there being no breeze. “ALAS, I MUST INFORM YOU THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM NOT SEEKING ANY DATES AT THIS TIME, SO WE SHOULD TALK INSTEAD ABOUT THE MONSTER CHILD BEHIND YOU!”

Wow, that definitely reminded you of Sans. 

What an ego.

And what an assumption to make about a complete stranger.

Wait.

“Your name is Papyrus?”

“THAT IS MY NAME.” The monster confirmed.

Well, that was awkward, considering you already knew a Papyrus, so until that sunk in, this guy was not-Papyrus to you. The differences between your Papyrus and this one were like night and day. You could never imagine your Papyrus with such a bright, energetic smile or a palpable energy as the monster before you exuded.

“HUMAN?” Not-Papyrus prompted.

“Oh, right.” You said, once you found your voice.

The monster waited patiently, offering an encouraging smile.

“I was just going on a walk on my way to _Caffeine Fixation_ when I saw this little guy hiding behind the bench over there.” You gestured to a bench some fifteen feet behind you. “They were all alone, and I didn’t think that I should just leave them there, because I didn’t see any parents. There wasn't even another monster.” You met not-Papyrus’ eye sockets, a little unnerved that you couldn’t see any eye lights. “My plan was to take them to one of the stations the royal guard has in the city. I can’t understand what they’re saying, so I figured another monster might be able to interpret.”

“THAT IS AN EXCELLENT PLAN! I’M SURE THIS SNOWDRAKE’S FRIENDS WILL BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE ALL RIGHT.” Not-Papyrus looked around, a slightly worried expression crossing his face before he brightened again. “FORTUNATELY FOR ALL INVOLVED, I HAPPEN TO BE A PART OF THE ROYAL GUARD THAT HAS BEEN STATIONED IN THIS CITY FOR AN UNDISCOLSED AMOUNT OF TIME! AND I ALSO HAPPEN TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND MOST MONSTER LANGUAGES!” With that, Not-Papyrus launched into a series of chirps and trills directed at the small monster pressed up against the back of your legs.

The monster child perked up and responded.

You listened in awe at the seamless way not-Papyrus communicated with the monster child. A thought sprang unbidden in your mind. Could your Papyrus speak other monster languages like this? The idea gave you warm fuzzy feelings and wasn’t _that_ something you were going to have to think about later. 

The chirps and trills continued, and your mind wandered.

You really ought to get to some more of that thinking from what happened last night, as you were beginning to suspect something more and more about Papyrus. When Sans assumed the two of you were date-mates, and continued to do so for a time...you were beginning to wonder if maybe he wasn’t completely off base? That maybe, just maybe, being date-mates might _actually_ be something Papyrus wanted from you, but for whatever reason, he seemed content with being friends? You weren’t sure why you didn’t notice sooner, especially with all the cuddling that was happening lately, but decided that part of it was because you and Papyrus constantly insisted to Sans that there was nothing going on between the two of you. 

Another thought to occupy your mind, along with that text message from Sans.

“THEY WERE TOLD TO HIDE BY THEIR PARENTS.” Not-Papyrus announced, breaking into your thoughts. “BUT THE PARENTS NEVER CAME BACK TO GET THEM.”

You frown at this. That seemed ominous, because you didn’t think that monster parents would ever abandon their children. It just wasn’t something that happened. If another monster had come across this monster child, you knew that they wouldn’t have hesitated to take responsibility for either taking care of the child or tracking down their parents.

Your phone buzzed in a pocket.

“ARE YOU GOING TO GET THAT?” Not-Papyrus asked.

You did, half-aware of the way the snowdrake monster child had wandered over to Papyrus, who crouched down and reached out a hand to carefully ruffle some feathers. The message on your phone alarmed you enough that both Not-Papyrus and the monster child turned to look at you.

The Cryptic One: _m’sorry. m’outside your apartment building_

You: _Are you okay?_

The Cryptic One: _m’sorry_

You: _Don’t apologize._

The Cryptic One: _m’sorry anyway_

You: _What’s wrong?_

No response.

“IS EVEYTHING ALL RIGHT, HUMAN?” Not Papyrus asked.

“No. I think my friend Rus is in trouble, but he isn’t saying how or why.” You could trust another monster, right? Especially one who was in the royal guard? “He just keeps on apologizing.”

“RUS?” 

“Yeah, he’s, um…” You could trust a monster that was a part of the royal guard, right? Not-Papyrus was close to the ambassador, Frisk, wasn’t he? From what you knew of from the news. “He’s a skeleton monster.”

“I SEE.” The cheerful look was fading, replaced with a thoughtful one, not-Papyrus seeming to puzzle something out. 

The sight reminded you of when Sans picked up on something wrong. How he would zero in on different possibilities of how to deal with any issues that may arise, while Papyrus heckled him from a horizontal position on the floor or couch.

“WHAT KIND OF TROUBLE?” Not-Papyrus wore a guarded expression as he said this.

“Not sure. All Rus told me is that he’s outside my apartment building.” You sent a message, even tried to call, and there was no response. “I should probably go check on him. This isn’t like him to just show up there when I’m not at home. It feels…wrong.”

“THEN ALLOW ME TO ACCOMPANY YOU." The cheerfulness was back, if not as intense as before, as Papyrus gathered up the monster child in his arms. "IF THERE ARE ANY INJURIES, I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I AM A COMPETENT HEALER.”

In the end, after weighing your options, you decided to let Not-Papyrus accompany you back home. 

You couldn’t have possibly imagined or foreseen just how poorly your Papyrus would react to seeing a skeleton monster that somewhat resembled him.

-x-x-x-

My skull was pounding with a sharp ache that wouldn’t leave. I could barely figure out which way was up, and after I’d sent y/n some messages, there was no way I could even look at my phone screen without my eye light hazing at the edges. It wasn't like I would be able to even remember if I sent another text back, with how terribly the pain was settling in. The magic welling in my damaged socket let me know just how much of a fool I was.

I shouldn't have left the house today, as I had instinctively known that it was going to be a bad day.

My damaged socket tore at me with an agonizing pain that I couldn’t chase away, and it was worse than it had been earlier this morning, when I had woken from a nightmare. I’d run out of medicinal joints, and I’d been too damn stubborn to let Sans know before he went off for work for the day. There was no way I was going to interfere with his routine now that he finally had one again, even though I knew he’d drop it all to take care of me. 

What an idiot. 

Sans' HP still wasn't completely healed from yesterday's little encounter with Judge. 

I could take care of myself for a little while. My brother had to be sure to let his HP heal up, and let his routines for taking care of his LV be put in place so that the LV didn't go off-kilter in a dangerous way. It wasn't nearly as bad as when it happened to me. With such low HP, I was always dealing with my LV in some way, but Sans could be an insufferable pain in the coccyx when there was a flare up.

I was going to be having some words with Judge in the near future. That bastard had to have known that not only could this potentially cause Sans to slip up on his rigid control over his LV, but it wouldn't pass my notice that his HP had been damaged with KR by a large amount.

Promises were only held when the other party held to their own.

Judge was walking a damn thin line in my mind right now.

So what did I do, in the wake of my brother being injured, finding him at at y/n's and knowing Judge was responsible? What did I do, after Sans and I fell into an uneasy slumber that didn't last for either of us? What did I do, when I was upset and in pain early this morning, knowing that it could get worse, and leaving the house anyway while Sans was off at work, unaware of my state of mind?

I was being an idiot myself.

Loitering in the alley behind y/n’s apartment building wasn't the best of ideas, even late in the morning.

What I should have done was gone home immediately, or at least stopped by the place in the city where I’d gotten ahold of medicinal joints in the first place. 

I had run out of time to take either of those options.

My body ached all over, and my mind was awash with agony from my socket, driving a harsh pounding throughout my entire skull.

I didn’t dare try another shortcut. 

It would do more harm than good.

Stranded.

I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh as I sagged against the wall behind me. It would just figure if some of those monster-hating humans happened upon me. What an easy target I’d make right now. I placed a hand over my right socket and issued out something close to a whine as I slid down the wall to sit on the snowy ground.

It hurt so much.

No matter how much healing magic Sans poured onto it, the relief was only temporary. This was what I got for messing around with the machine that brought us to this universe.

“Rus!”

Distantly, I heard y/n’s voice, and I was at the point in my pain where I could have been hearing things. At least until I saw, through blurred vision, y/n crouch in front of me, their face pinched in worry for me. I parted my fangs to insist that I was fine, to not look so worried over me when I was being a fool, when a loud voice made me freeze up.

“WOWIE! ANOTHER ME! MY BROTHER WAS RIGHT!”

Despite the pain, I stretched my senses and found that two other monsters were near y/n and myself. The one who had spoken, and a smaller presence.

A monster child.

I heard footsteps approach, and I grimaced as I attempted to gather myself. It wouldn't do to be in such a vulnerable position without any information to go off of. I was very tempted to text my brother, despite not trusting my vision to accurately guide me to the right contact. I figured if worse came to worse, I could loosen the tight shield I kept around my soul, and broadcast to my brother my need for assistance. Something I only saved for dire situations, and I hadn't had to do such a thing in this universe. The most I did was send occasional brotherly exasperation Sans' way, such as for the whole date-mate manual debacle I don't think I will ever recover from.

"Rus? Can you hear me?" Y/n's hand carefully hovered over a shoulder. "Your eye light looks really fuzzy."

I awkwardly took hold of y/n's hands, moving away from the wall far enough to allow me to hide y/n behind me. This put me between y/n and the other monster, whose confusion was palpable, but wisely did not say anything other than to speak to the monster child to have them keep nearby. I could feel my right socket flare with power, begging to be released, but that only made things worse because the magic couldn’t release. It built up in my socket, and drove a sharp stabbing pain through my skull. Cautious hands touched my back, settling on my right scapula and middle of my spine. I was there enough to know it was y/n. With mute resignation, I realized that all of my bones were beginning to bead with the unreleased magic. It had already starting to leak out of my cracked socket.

“WHOOPSIE.” The monster said, sounding a little too close for my liking. “POINTY-LOOKING ME, PLEASE DON’T TRY TO USE YOUR MAGIC. THAT LOOKS QUITE PAINFUL.”

I reflexively bared my teeth when the other monster crouched in front of me, bringing them into focus. This skeleton monster…this was the other Sans’ brother. The one my brother dubbed ‘Judge.’ The one Judge alluded to the first time we had come across one another in that empty room. I allowed myself a slightly sardonic smile that merely seemed to further concern the other monster. If Sans called the other Sans 'Judge', than this other Papyrus in front of me would be ‘Jury.’ 

My brother would hate the idea of the combined Judge and Jury when we spoke of them, so I went with it. It was better than thinking of the other monster as another ‘Papyrus’.

A hand came too close to my socket and I gave a warning snap of my teeth, ignoring the dizziness that came with the motion.

“NOW THAT IS NOT GOING TO DO ANY GOOD FOR EITHER OF US.” Jury tsked at me, his tone worried. “WHY HAVEN’T YOU SOUGHT OUT HELP FOR YOUR DAMAGED SOCKET? IT CAN’T BE GOOD FOR YOUR MAGIC TO BE TRAPPED LIKE THAT. IT SHOULD NOT BE LEAKING OUT LIKE THAT.” 

I felt y/n gently tug me backward to lean against them, both of us seated on the ground outside of the apartment. This was not an ideal situation but my tired mind allowed me to settle possessively into y/n’s embrace as I attempted to glare and warn Jury off. Not that he was interested in y/n, but I would stake a claim, even if nothing ever came of it.

“NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR DATE-MATE.” Jury said blithely, as he reached out with a hand again. “MY BROTHER MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE STUBBORN, BUT I DIDN’T REALIZE JUST HOW STUBBORN. WHO LETS AN INJURY LIKE THIS GO COMPLETELY UNHEALED?”

I was tempted to see what happened if I were to actually bite the hand Jury brought toward my right socket. But I knew that I couldn’t chance starting an encounter with y/n behind me, so even though my fangs were parted, I allowed Jury to rest a gloved hand over my socket. It felt wrong, to have another monster so close, but I felt the magic that poured out against my socket. The intent...I wasn't expecting kindness to be a part of it. I let slip a soft groan of relief as the constant agony finally, finally started to dissipate. 

“HEALING MAGIC CAN LESSEN THE PAIN BUT IT DOESN’T FIX WHAT IS CAUSING THE PAIN IN THE FIRST PLACE IF NOT DIRECTLY ADDRESSED.”

“You doing okay, Rus?”

I heard y/n whisper against the side of my skull, and I let out a rather telling whimper as I sagged backward against them. My soul fluttered over the way y/n wordlessly hugged me from behind as the healing magic continued on.

Silence went on until it was nearly unbearable.

Finally, Jury brought the healing session to an end, and drew his gloved hand away as he peered at my socket, and made a satisfied sound. 

“THERE! YOUR SOCKET MAY END UP REMAINING A LITTLE OPEN, BUT THERE SHOULD BE LESS PAIN NOW.” Jury shook his skull. “YOUR SOCKET MUST HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CLOSE FOR SOME TIME. BUT THE DAMAGE HAD THE BONE STUCK IN PLACE, AND YOUR MAGIC ONLY AGGRAVATED IT IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLOSE IT.” Jury checked the socket once more. “THE BONE WAS TORN SO THE HEALING MAGIC HELPED IT BE ABSORBED BY THE REST OF THE SOCKET. YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE ANY TROUBLE USING YOUR MAGIC NOW, BUT I WOULDN’T ADVISE USING IT FOR AT LEAST A WEEK. IT MIGHT HURT AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO LEAK MAGIC UNLESS YOU GIVE YOUR SOCKET A CHANCE TO ADJUST TO BEING UNABLE TO COMPLETELY CLOSE.”

I couldn’t find it in me to say anything in the wake of those words. It was like being bombarded by my brother, and I was too wrung out from my earlier short cuts and the pain I had been in for most of the morning to argue.

“I’M GLAD THAT YOU’RE FEELING BETTER.” Jury continued on. “BUT I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE THAT I’M SURE YOU’RE ALREADY WELL AWARE OF. I WOULDN’T TRY BARING FANGS AT MONSTERS IN THIS CITY. MOST OF THEM WOULD BE QUITE FRIGHTENED.”

I felt an almost indiscernible sensation of an attempt to be Checked, and shut it down immediately with a bristle. It was one thing for my brother to Check me. It was another entirely to allow an unknown monster to Check me.

“Definitely stubborn. Like my brother when he hides things from me.” Jury mused thoughtfully. 

The comment wouldn’t have be picked up by y/n, and I wasn’t certain it was meant for me to hear either, with how quiet the comment was. Jury sighed at the way I glared at him for the attempted Check, but his cheerful grin picked right back up, along with the volume. 

“I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR YOUR DATE-MATE TO BRING YOU HOME. YOU’LL FEEL SOME SECONDARY EXHAUSTION FROM THE HEALING MAGIC IN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO.” Jury turned his attention to y/n. “HUMAN, DO YOU MIND IF I ACCOMPANY THE TWO OF YOU? I DON’T THINK YOU I'LL BE ABLE TO CARRY…RUS, IF HE COLLAPSES ON THE WAY TO YOUR APARTMENT.”

I felt another brush of an attempted Check and automatically blocked it again. Bristling over the idea of another monster in y/n’s space, I attempt to speak, only to find it come out in a soft groan as I sag further into y/n’s arms. I could already feel those after effects of the healing magic as it attempted to lull my soul into rest to allow my body heal the rest of the way. Or at least, as healed as it could be. But years and years of survival in the presence of other monsters prevented me from allowing that rest to happen. I refused to take my eye off Jury, blurry as it was. He may have healed my socket in a way Sans couldn’t, but I wasn’t taking the chance of Judge showing up and deciding that I was a problem now.

“I could use some help getting him into my apartment.” 

I heard y/n’s voice, as if from far away. 

Yup.

There was no way I was going anywhere on my own right now, when I hadn't even realized that y/n had moved out from behind me. I couldn’t even lodge a protest when Jury attempted to gather me up in his arms, as my good socket had just closed in the last few seconds.

“HUMAN. WOULD YOU MIND CARRYING-“

“UNHAND MY BROTHER THIS INSTANT!”

I felt Jury stiffen before he gently eased me back on the ground. One of y/n’s hand slipped into one of my own as Jury addressed Sans, who couldn’t have picked a worse time to show up to see why my soul was twisting itself in frantic, anxious knots.

"HELLO." Jury greeted, sounding a tad concerned. "WOWIE, YOU RESEMBLE MY BROTHER, MINUS THE FANGS AND SCARS."

I didn't think I broadcasted my unease, until I recalled that y/n had a charm that would alert Sans to trouble. But which was it that brought him here? I didn't like to think I couldn't protect y/n if they had felt unease being in Jury's presence, despite accepting and asking for help from him.

"THAT IS A DISTRESSING YET IMPRESSIVE AMOUNT OF BONE CONSTRUCTS." Jury added, sounding very impressed.

Sans apparently decided to make things worse by drawing on his magic. I felt it, and even in my half-dazed state, wrenched my socket back open to see Sans fling several attacks at Jury, intending to get him to back off from y/n and myself. Sans wore a cold, distant expression normally reserved for when he needed to focus on the task at hand, and not let emotions slip in to distract him.

He shouldn't be fighting.

His HP still wasn't maxed out yet.

Sans had barely gotten any sleep, either, so he wasn't at his best.

Mistakes could be made.

“I THINK THERE HAS BEEN A MISUNDERSTANDING OF SOME KIND.” Jury said as he evaded Sans’ attacks. “THERE IS NO NEED FOR VIOLENCE WHEN LEVEL-HEADED DISCUSSIONS CAN BE HAD INSTEAD.”

Naturally, Sans didn’t listen, and silently went on the offensive.

If there was one thing Sans didn’t like, it was someone unknown attempting to take me somewhere when I was in no state to resist. It unfortunately happened all too often in our underground when we were younger, until he made rank as lieutenant and later, captain. What Sans had just seen couldn't be doing his mind any favors. Some things just pushed him too far, but in this case, if I’d been in better shape, I would have advised against a fight with Jury.

Sans should have known this was Judge’s brother. 

Then there was the fact that there was still a monster child nearby, and I presumed that was who Jury was going to ask y/n to carry. Even though I didn’t want someone to Check me, I managed a quick glimpse of Jury, who spared me a brief glance before giving his full attention to Sans.

* He apologizes in advance

I went completely still when Jury suddenly invaded Sans’ space, and began knocking off HP here and there as Sans snarled and began blocking. It was too much how I imagined what had gone down between my brother and Judge, though Judge wouldn't have needed to even fight. Just catch my brother off guard enough to land some KR.

Y/n had let go of my hand and moved away from me, and I found that I didn’t like the sudden loss of y/n's presence by my side. I heard the snowdrake monster child’s worried chirps and trills, and knew that y/n wouldn’t understand what was being said as y/n came back to my side, monster child in tow. I relaxed marginally but attempted to get my limbs under me as I watched Jury manage to shave off a larger chunk of HP that had Sans forming more constructs. 

The look on Sans' face didn't bode well, a cross between cool indifference and cold rage. He was struggling to keep his LV in check, even during a fight where Sans clearly wanted to let loose and fight dirty, battle etiquette be damned.

Perhaps Sans knew who Jury was after all?

I watched my brother's HP continue to drop, knowing what Jury intended to do. He wanted to knock my brother around as they exchanged attacks, until Sans could no longer fight with a low amount of HP. But Jury wouldn't dust him, and that was only going to make Sans angrier after what had happened with Judge yesterday.

Sans wouldn't give up.

Jury would have to dust him if he thought he could wear Sans down.

I became worried when my brother didn’t get up after the latest flurry of bones.

Sans lie on the ground on his side, breathing hard as magic sparked and died off. I didn’t remember the last time Sans had been knocked down to 1 HP. Last night had been a close call.

Y/n’s voice didn’t reach me as I watched Jury cautiously approach Sans. 

I finally found it in me to do something, as I couldn’t take it any longer. All I could see in that moment was my baby brother in danger, and I used a shortcut without thought. I appeared behind Jury as I finally, _finally_ formed a proper jagged bone construct with my magic, even if it drained me further. But at least I wasn't leaking magic out of my right socket as much as before. 

Either I was slow from lack of fighting or Jury sensed my shortcut, because he pivoted his body to the side, smoothly avoiding being stabbed in the spine as he caught my wrist and held it firmly.

“I THINK THAT’S ENOUGH, DON’T YOU?” Jury asked, sounding winded, even if he twisted the bone construct out of my grasp.

I hissed at the slight pain but didn't form another attack. 

"THERE'S NO NEED FOR US TO FIGHT."

Rationally, I knew that, but I couldn’t take my mind off my brother at 1 HP, lying helplessly on the ground. It had only happened one other time, and it was a memory I would rather forget. But that rational thought didn't sink in fast enough as I lunged forward to bite down hard through Jury’s sweater to the left side of his collarbone.

“OWIE!” Jury exclaimed, surprising me by not immediately driving a weapon of his own into my body, potentially dusting me. “YOUR TEETH ARE MUCH SHARPER THAN MINE! BUT YOUR DAMAGE OUTPUT ISN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING BUT DRAW MARROW. I AM ONLY LEVEL ONE, AS YOU SAW BEFORE, SO YOUR KR ISN'T GOING TO ACTIVATE.”

I wasn't even going to begin to ask how he knew about that as I allowed Jury gently pry my teeth out of bleeding bone. I did, however, let out an indignant huff over being unceremoniously lifted over his right shoulder.

“TRY NOT TO WASTE YOUR ENERGY FIGHTING. I KNOW MY BROTHER MUST NOT HAVE LEFT A FAVORABLE IMPRESSION ON EITHER YOU OR YOUR BROTHER, BUT THAT'S NO REASON TO PICK A FIGHT NOW.” Jury crouched down to reach for Sans, and I could see the way he formed a tiny rib construct that bounced harmlessly off Jury’s hand.

My fangs twitched over the way Jury gently tucked Sans under his other arm and straightened up, already using a little healing on my brother. 

"Let's not upset your date-mate and the child any more than they already are." Jury's voice had quieted from its louder volume.

I stared at the ground, my eye light hazy. I could see the back of my brother’s skull, and he didn’t seem to be in any better shape than I was. I Checked him, causing Sans to stir faintly before going inert.

* He’s sorry he couldn’t protect you and y/n

I felt a Check carefully nudge at my magic. Asking permission. My guard was lowered, so I allowed the Check, thinking that it was my brother. I stilled when I felt Jury’s hand tense against me from where he held me over his shoulder.

“No one is going to prison.” Jury sighed. “It's going to be okay, even if you don't believe me right now." Jury raised his voice, calling out to y/n. "HUMAN, WOULD YOU MIND LEADING THE WAY? IT SEEMS I HAVE ANOTHER HEALING SESSION FOR THE ANGRY VERSION OF MY BROTHER.”

I closed my socket. This was too much for me to handle right now, but I didn’t allow myself to be lulled to sleep by sneaky healing magic drifting over me. I was going to make sure that nothing bad happened while Jury was in y/n’s apartment, even if y/n wouldn't have allowed him in if he gave them 'bad vibes'. It didn’t matter that I could barely lift a finger right now, because I could remember things.

I was great at holding a grudge.

If anything happened that gave my brother or y/n the slightest discomfort apart from the sudden battle that had just occurred, and after a healing?

Judge was going to have the promise he’d gotten out of me thrown forcefully back into his face.

I could only hope that Jury was better natured than his brother, and wouldn't take the attacks launched against him as personally as Judge had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: SF Sans might not have thrown down with Undertale Papyrus/Jury if he hadn't been trying to pick SF Papyrus up. But if either SF brother sees the other in potential danger, the other one loses their logic/reasoning b/c excuse you, random stranger, that is *my* brother (the unstable LV doesn't help in this case). And Jury could heal what SF Sans couldn't, because where they came from, healing is more like a punch of 'heal right this instant' than a careful weaving of injuries back together, all the way down to the smallest detail.
> 
> In other news:
> 
> I'm happy I was finally able to post this because omg was I losing my mind over just how much this chapter did not want to be written. 
> 
> I tried to start this chapter at least four other ways, and the bulk of the chapter changed twice. And of course, the whole showing what the reader thought of the night before re: SF Sans and Papyrus didn’t pan out how I wanted (before it was like slogging through molasses with about three to four pages of thoughts and it just...I don’t know. It had info but it just dragged on too much for my liking and therefore wasn’t interesting/enjoyable to read-it felt too forced). Maybe there will be some time for showing reader’s thoughts in the next few chapters. I kept all the text that just didn’t work out, in case it could be used, altered or as is, in future chapters.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience. I know I’ve been posting and updating other fics, but I really love writing this one in particular. It requires more thought and brain power than some of the others though (including edits. omg, the editing). 
> 
> This is another split POV chapter (switch is about 1/3 of the way into the chapter). Starts with the reader’s POV with some protective (possessive) fluff (?) with Papyrus and then it's SF Sans 1st POV, where after a heavy discussion of part of his and Papyrus' past, he has had enough of his brother thinking he doesn’t deserve a date-mate (this is also where Sans realizes he has caused part of the hesitance by pushing it/insisting on the whole date-mate thing to begin with).

It was luck once again that no one saw the small parade of monsters coming with you to your apartment. Not that it would be a bad thing, but it really didn't look so good with two of the four monsters appearing like they took a beating.

Which they had.

You couldn’t help but shoot concerned glances over your shoulder at Sans and Papyrus. Both seemed to be down and out. Or at least Sans was, while Papyrus shifted and scrabbled his hands uselessly in an effort to get himself off of the other monster’s shoulder.

It didn't do any good.

Not-Papyrus let out a sigh but didn't attempt to dissuade your friend from his failed attempts to slide off his shoulder.

You were torn. On one hand, you had asked not-Papyrus to help carry Papyrus (and Sans) up to your apartment, since you would have been hard-pressed to help your tall gangly monster friend up the stairs. But on the other hand, you were concerned that Papyrus wouldn't be able to stand on his own two feet with the way he'd been lying so limp on the ground outside before not-Papyrus had picked him up.

Papyrus increased his impression of a wriggling worm, a faint growl of frustration emitting from him as his fingers gripped not-Papyrus' shoulder, near where he had bitten the other monster.

"POINTY-ME, PLEASE CALM DOWN. YOU MOVING ABOUT SO MUCH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO CARRY YOU. I DON'T WANT TO ACCIDENTALLY DROP YOU. THAT WOULD BE QUITE RUDE OF ME WHEN YOUR DATE-MATE ASKED ME TO HELP."

Papyrus hissed out something nonsensical.

You didn't think you missed the calculating look in his single dim eye light.

It didn't even cross your mind to correct not-Papyrus' assumption of being Papyrus' date-mate. Right now, it just seemed imperative that you get everyone into your apartment before Papyrus started to use his claws. He didn’t seem particularly happy to see not-Papyrus, and you couldn’t help but wonder why your Papyrus had been so insistent in keeping himself between you and not-Papyrus earlier. Especially when Sans appeared seemingly from nowhere with such a scary expression on his face as he picked a fight with not-Papyrus.

The whole same name thing was going to get confusing.

“...jury.” Papyrus murmured from up on not-Papyrus’ shoulder. “...put m’down.”

”SIGH. I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT MY NAME IS PAPYRUS AS WELL. I SUPPOSE YOU HAVE ALREADY NICKNAMED MY LAZYBONES BROTHER, SO I WILL ACCEPT THE MONIKER WHILE IN YOUR PRESENCE.”

Jury?

Well, you supposed that conveniently timed exchange settled the name confusion for you. Taking out your keys and unlocking your apartment door, you stepped aside to let Jury sweep inside. Once you were in your apartment as well, you closed the door, and turned, catching another look at Papyrus' face. His expression was worn out, his eye light further dimmed with his skull lolled to one side on Jury’s shoulder. 

Papyrus didn’t look so good, and you were worried.

It had been unexpected to see him move so quickly earlier, when he had been having trouble doing more than weakly bracing himself up with his arms. And when Papyrus used his short cut...you don’t think you’ve ever seen such a cold expression of detachment before when he’d attempted to stab Jury. But the same time, you felt like you were missing information. Especially considering that Sans had attacked Jury too, before Papyrus intervened.

Did the two of them know Jury?

Jury stopped inside your living room, looking around with low hemming and hawing.

You figured he was inwardly musing on the best places to set the two brothers down.

Papyrus let out another growl of dissent and this time, Sans stirred restlessly from where he was tucked beneath one of Papyrus' arms before going inert again. 

Despite feeling the something more going on than you were aware of, you decided that you wanted Sans and Papyrus to feel better before you went around demanding answers to fill in the blanks. Just thinking about different reasons and scenarios was making you feel as worn out as Papyrus looked. Today had been much busier than you’d anticipated a writing day to be, and it seemed that Jury agreed with you.

”WOWIE! THAT WAS CERTAINLY AN UNEXPECTED WORKOUT! MY BROTHER NEVER MENTIONED THAT POINTY-ME WAS A COMPETENT FIGHTER! JUST THE OTHER HIM!”

You watched as Jury gently settled Sans down on one of the cushioned chairs in the living room. Before Jury could set Papyrus down, Papyrus finally managed to struggle free and flopped to the floor in a clatter of bones.

You winced.

That looked like it hurt.

Papyrus awkwardly dragged himself along the floor backward in your direction. He faced Jury and bared his fangs, almost seeming to bristle when Jury made as if to stoop and help him up. 

Was this...was Papyrus engulfed in those instincts Sans had talked about before? Was Papyrus even fully awake at this point, or just barely hanging on to consciousness at a perceived threat?

The snowdrake child, watching all this transpire as you did, ruffled their feathers up and flapped their wings until they settled on top of the fridge in the kitchen.

You figured it was probably best to stay out of reach.

Not because of Papyrus, but because you did not know where Tally or Sashay were.

Distracted as you were now with the thought of your pets, you didn't notice right away that Papyrus had reached you. Bony arms wrapped around you from behind, Papyrus' tall gangly form draped over you from behind as he pressed close to you.

Papyrus’ body appeared to be humming with tension as he leaned more heavily against you.

You could see Papyrus' skull out of the corner of your eye, from where his jaw rested on your right shoulder. For some reason you couldn't pin down, all you could think of was that Papyrus was unsettled to not have his brother nearby to protect as well, so he amplified the protectiveness over you. The spark of magic was obvious with how close you were to Papyrus.

“POINTY ME, PLEASE DON’T BARE YOUR TEETH LIKE THAT. PEOPLE REALLY WILL GET THE WRONG IDEA.” Jury said, warily taking a step toward Sans.

The rattling of bones joined with Papyrus' near-snarl over how close Jury was to his brother, the magic growing in strength before sputtering out.

“PLEASE LET ME HELP. IT REALLY DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING TO OVEREXERT AND UPSET YOURSELF WHILE INJURED. AND HOLDING ON TO SO MUCH TENSION AND ANGER WITHIN YOUR SOUL DOES IT NO FAVORS.” Papyrus finished crossing the short distance to where Sans lie propped up on the chair. “I AM GOING TO HEAL THE TWO OF YOU. PREFERABLY WITHOUT YOU BENDING SPACE TO TRY TO SHANK ME AGAIN, PLEASE. AT A LATER TIME, WE CAN SORT OUT DISAGREEMENTS AND ASSUMPTIONS, WHEN YOU AND YOUR BROTHER ARE IN A BETTER STATE OF MIND.”

You heard Papyrus’ fangs click together as he sucked in a short breath. A low growl built up again as Jury reached out to carefully rest a hand on Sans’ chest. Your hands dropped down to seize Papyrus’ forearms when he jerked, as if to pull away. It was tricky, convincing Papyrus that everything would be okay, since you too had doubts about what had gone down between the three monsters. But again, you didn’t have all the information to draw any conclusions. So, for right now, you wanted to make sure that your friend and his brother would be all right. Which meant you had a monster to reassure right now, who was doing his best to wriggle away, though Papyrus soon gave up as he merely tightened his hold on you in return.

Jury’s hand flowed green, and the longer the hand remained over Sans’ chest, the less furrowed Sans’ brow bone became.

You noticed that Papyrus was relaxing against your back at this sight, bit by bit, even if a faint tension remained in his tall frame. It didn’t escape your notice that Papyrus had twisted his larger hands over, in order to seize your own loosely.

It was kind of...nice.

Comforting.

You gave the bony hands holding your own a reassuring squeeze.

Papyrus' breath stuttered out against the side of your head before he gently returned the gesture.

The healing passed by in silence, but that changed the moment Jury finished, and stepped away from Sans.

Papyrus sluggishly made an attempt to move himself out of your grasp when Jury cautiously approached the two of you. 

Out of desperation to prevent more fighting, you let go of Papyrus’ hands and reached up. You ended up hugging what you could grab of Papyrus to your shoulder. This happened to be his skull, as you’d gotten a hold of him around his cervical vertebrae. It was awkward but you would hold this position if it meant there would be no more conflict between Papyrus and Jury.

Papyrus let out a huff of dissent but didn’t pull away, at least until Jury knelt down alongside him, and Papyrus began to growl again. 

"POINTY-ME, REALLY, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR FROM THE GREAT PAPY-ER, THE GREAT JURY!" The monster frowned. "THAT DOESN'T HAVE QUITE THE SAME RING TO IT, BUT I TRUST IT GETS THE POINT ACROSS NONETHELESS."

When you could tell that Papyrus had no intention of letting Jury get any closer, you decided to try something. You slowly pet the fingers of one of your hands along the back of his skull where it met the vertebrae and Papyrus just kind of...melted? Or rather, Papyrus let out a thin noise of surprise, his skull sliding off your shoulder and out of your hold as he sprawled on the floor alongside you. The monster sighed blissfully when you carefully rested a hand on top of his skull and traced the coronal suture points of his skull.

Jury respectfully kept his distance while he waited for it to be safe to approach. 

It amazed you how docile Papyrus became with just a few light touches. He snuggled closer to you, near your legs, and curled an arm around your thigh. That was a bit more intimate of a touch for someone you considered a friend. It did make you wonder, again, what was on Papyrus’ mind. Then there was also the whole 'instincts' thing to consider, that had happened when you'd been at Papyrus and Sans' home. But that was a question for another time, as you focused on Papyrus right now. When he was settled down and sedately enjoyed the petting of your fingers across his skull, Papyrus actually allowed Jury to approach him this time.

“YOU’RE GOING TO BE SLEEPY AFTER THIS, IF YOU ARE ANYTHING LIKE MY BROTHER WHEN YOUR LOW HP IS HEALED TO FULL.” Jury informed Papyrus as his hand began to glow. Moments later, Jury drew his hand away from Papyrus’ shoulder. "THAT WASN'T SO TERRIBLE, WAS IT?"

Papyrus let out a disinterested hum and pressed his skull harder against your fingers.

"I DID NOTICE SOMETHING WORRYING, HOWEVER. ON YOUR LEFT SCAPULA, THERE IS AN OLD INJURY. ONE MADE INTENTIONALLY, I BELEIVE, THOUGH THE ORIGINAL MAGIC SIGNATURE FROM IT IS GONE..."

"no." Papyrus mumbled. 

"I UNDERSTAND THAT SUCH THINGS ARE KNOWN TO BE UNPLEASANT IN NATURE, BUT HAVE NEVER BEEN PUT INTO PRACTICE HERE AS FAR AS I AM AWARE." Jury continued on.

"l e a v e i t a l o n e." Papyrus' tone was one of deadly warning.

"VERY WELL." Jury didn't look entirely happy about it.

You were concerned what it meant for Papyrus to become so defensive over what sounded like something so vague. Again, you had the sense that you were missing out on crucial bits of information. 

Papyrus closed his good socket and mumbled something.

You didn’t understand what he said, but Jury sighed as if put out.

“I AM AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED, TO A DEGREE, FOR YOU TO LAUNCH AN ATTACK EARLIER. YOU AREN'T THE ONLY ONE WITH A SIBLING."

Papyrus uttered a few more undecipherable words.

"NO, NO, YOU ARE NOT UNDER ARREST OR ANY SUCH THING. IT WAS MERELY A MISUNDERSTANDING.” Jury stood up and chirped at the snowdrake child. The feathered monster fluttered down to perch on his outstretched hands. “NOW, IF YOU WILL EXCUSE ME, I AM GOING TO BRING THIS MONSTER CHILD IN TO SEE THEIR FRIENDS. WE WILL SET UP A TIME LATER TO MEET FOR A LEVEL-HEADED, NON-VIOLENT DISCUSSION.” As quickly as Jury had appeared to you on the sidewalk, he swept out the front door of your apartment, door closing behind him.

Silence reigned.

”Your doppelgänger is like your brother but with more positivity. I think I prefer Sans over Jury.” You glanced down to find Papyrus trying to determinedly worm his way onto your lap. “Hey, big guy, if you want to rest, how about you go over to the couch? More comfortable than the floor.” With a little more coaxing, you got Papyrus to stand up, and led him over to the couch to lie down. He clasped a hand around one of your own as the two of you walked the short few steps. To your bemusement, Papyrus let go of your hand to silently wait for you to sit down on the couch. You veered off the grab a blanket while Papyrus briefly checked on his brother. But as soon as you got comfortable on the end of the couch, Papyrus shuffled over and collapsed backwards onto the couch.

Papyrus wriggled his lanky frame across the entirety of the couch until his skull and part of his upper body was resting comfortably across your lap.

”Hi.” You told the monster, arranging the blanket over your shoulders, and partially over Papyrus' legs and waist.

"hey." Papyrus offered a smile before closing his good socket and draping his right arm over his middle. Then, as an afterthought, he dug out a square white eye-patch from within his hoodie and clumsily covered his right eye socket with it. That seemed to relax Papyrus further, as the tension from before was all but gone. ”okay for me to lie here like this?” Papyrus mumbled, without opening his socket, as he settled his right arm back across his middle, just beneath his ribs.

“Yeah.” You hesitated for a moment before you curiously set your right hand over Papyrus'. This definitely felt different than the other times the two of you would hang out together.

Much cozier, in fact.

“thanks.” Papyrus mumbled, his breathing trailing off into something more even. Soon, the soft rise and fall of his chest beneath his hand and yours indicated that he had fallen asleep. At some point, his hand had turned over to loosely grasp your own, as if he thought you might leave while he slept.

It was a difficult task trying to keep your eyes open. Papyrus was just so warm when he cuddled so closely to you in his sleep. You ended up dozing off while petting Papyrus’ skull with your left hand, the soft rattle rising from the monster in something like a purr. The sound followed you into a nameless dream. 

-x-x-x-

I was utterly appalled with myself.

And I called myself captain of the Royal Guard, when I was reduced to one HP by a LV 1 monster?

It was shameful.

Humiliating.

I had failed both my brother and y/n, letting my guard down as I had around the monster whom I surmised was Judge’s brother. And to further my shame, I could feel healing magic being used on me. It wasn’t even my brother’s magic, of which I was acutely familiar with. It was the magic of the monster that had bested me in a moment of weakness, when I had seen Papyrus lying so still on the ground. It had filled me with a cold anger, seeing a parallel of something from the distant past I would rather forget. A time before I was a member of the Royal Guard. A time when I had been unable to protect my only family member. This unnerving parallel had driven me to act, rashly, for the second time in only a few days.

It surprised me that Judge hadn't shown up during the pitifully one-sided fight.

The Alphys of my universe would have gleefully thrown my sorry coccyx into solitary for such a greenhorn mistake, whether or not I was her commanding officer.

I really had grown lax in this place not my own.

That would change...once I felt myself again.

Full awareness would be a boon as well, to better piece my thoughts together. Drifting in and out of senseless and unfocused thoughts while being healed by a pseudo-enemy was anything but aware. I hardly let anyone but my brother attempt to heal me, though on the rare occasion, others would be expected to heal me, no questions asked. But right now...Papyrus must still be compromised if he wasn't protesting the treatment.

Time passed, and yet I was unable to pull away from the warmth of the healing magic. Instead, it pulled me back under, away from awareness, and into an uneasy slumber. I couldn't say how long I was out until I was finally, finally, I was able to wake up, slowly coming to consciousness now that healing magic wasn’t making me fuzzy. It took time, but soon enough, I was able to begin to piece together where I was. This place around me was only vaguely familiar, which meant that I was not imprisoned. But without my vision to assist me for another few moments, I would have to wait to confirm this. But the overall sense I got of this place I was in was...welcoming. 

Calming. 

A low growl was the only vocalization I could make at present, but it drew forth no acknowledgment.

Good, in a manner of speaking.

This meant that I was either alone, or that those I was with found me to be too weak at present to be intimidating.

Another humiliation, to be unable to even use my words at present.

Within minutes of waking, I was able to force my sockets open, even if my eye lights presented me with a blurry outline of my surroundings. They wouldn't focus for many more minutes, with how punch-drunk with healing I felt. But even impeded with such vision, I was able to see where I was.

Y/n’s apartment.

Closing my sockets for a moment, I allowed myself a brief moment of respite.

Safe.

I could consider y/n's home a safe place.

They had allowed me into their home when I had been wounded twice before. There was no reason to think that would change when it happened again, even if the wounds had been superficial, being knocked around (being at 1 HP wouldn't dust me) had been intended to wear me down into a compliant prisoner. And yet I wasn't one. There would be no facing Judge about those humans in the alley. No looking Judge in his eye lights over picking a fight with his brother, to protect my own. If I had it my way, that case Judge was looking in to would never be solved. Because again, how was I to explain that I was only defending myself, when Judge had seen my LV? How would he know what my reasons were, if he didn't know the state of my LV or EXP before those humans had expired? Why would Judge think to grant me leniency when he saw such a high LV? What would he decided, should Judge locate proof I had killed some of those humans to escape?

My sockets remained for a moment longer, before opening them again. That would be a matter to deal with at another time. I had delayed long enough, and Checked myself.

_Sans_

_LV 16_

_*you need to check on your brother_

I snorted softly at that. I could already sense that Papyrus was just fine, but I knew that my soul wouldn't be satisficed until I rained a Check on him and made certain he was all right. In the meantime, I focused on my own soul, briefly manifesting it into my hands. It was a beaten, cracked and ugly thing, red amid the dim purple and silver, but there were no new cracks within it. In fact...it appeared as though I had been healed up to over half my max HP.

Interesting.

I did not recognize this magic signature.

Wait.

My sockets narrowed at my soul still hovering over my hands, eye lights watching the healing magic within. It may not have been the same as offensive magic but this healing magic, it felt similar to Papyrus’ own yet not. But then that would mean that...I hadn't imagined it. I _had_ felt myself being healed by the monster that resembled my brother, after he had defeated me in battle.

Foolish.

Why heal an opponent? It would just make questioning them more difficult.

I stilled on whatever furniture I was propped up on at the idea.

Was that monster still here in y/n’s apartment? With Papyrus potentially still unconscious?

What the hell was I doing just _lying_ there?

With a louder growl of discomfort, I pressed my back against the furniture (a chair?) and forced my eye lights to focus, with a little difficulty. My senses stretched out, looking for anything that could be seen as a threat, as I took in my immediate surroundings. I noticed right away that y/n was seated on the end of the couch opposite from where I was seated. The human was fast asleep, their head resting against the back of the couch cushion. Interestingly, Papyrus was stretched out across the couch, his skull and part of his upper half sprawled across y/n’s lap.

They both looked rather cozy, a blanket haphazardly thrown over y/n's shoulders, which had partially become draped over Papyrus' lap.

Papyrus and y/n also happened to be holding hands.

Hrm.

What exactly had happened while I was unconscious?

I frowned a little, taking in the sight, before my gaze roved over the rest of the apartment. I didn’t sense the other monster that resembled my brother, nor the child snowdrake who had been nearby. Only the two beasts that were smart enough to stay out of sight. I did not need claws from those felines adding to my discomfort of being unconscious for what appeared to be much too long of a time.

”jury left, bro.” Papyrus mumbled from where he lie. He seemed to be quite at ease where he was, his soul thrumming happily.

“Jury?” My voice was quieter, not yet able to rise to its usual volume. I wasn’t aware of any monster with that name, but given that I’d dubbed this universe’s Sans as Judge...

”the monster you attacked ‘cause you thought he was gonna take me somewhere without permission?” Papyrus tossed out. 

”Of _course_ you would take any chance to make a joke.” There. I could use my words just fine. 

“you’re smiling.” Papyrus pointed out with a lazy one of his own.

”I can appreciate the humor of the idea behind ‘Judge and Jury.’ If only a little.” I fidgeted with my bandana, a blatant tell that I wasn’t entirely in control of my emotions. Not surprising, considering what had happened, and the memories that lingered because of it.

_Broken bones._

_Painful begging_ _for the pain to stop._

_A snap of another bone._

_Dripping marrow..._

No.

Papyrus was fine, overall.

A quick Check told me that.

_Papyrus_

_Lv 14_

_*your older brother is tired_

He wasn't injured, at least.

”s’fine now.” Papyrus assured me. "m'fine. I doubted he sensed just how far my inner turmoil went. Papyrus reached up to touch an eye patch now over his right socket. “jury was able to fix the socket, so i’m feelin’ better than i did earlier.”

”And what exactly led you to being in an alley behind y/n’s apartment?” I demanded, my voice still quieter than I would have liked. But at least this way, I didn’t wake the human. "You were fast asleep on the couch when I left for work not two hours ago this morning." If my internal clock was still accurate. I couldn't be certain just how much time I had lost to being dangerously low in HP, followed by a healing sleep.

”i ran out of the medicinal drugs.” Papyrus admitted softly, his left hand absently petting one of y/n’s arms. His right was still holding fast to y/n's hand. “couldn’t think right, lyin' there. even fell off of the couch. everything was fuzzy and painful. but i didn’t wanna bother you when you had to leave for work. thought i could get to the store myself before i couldn’t think straight.”

“Papyrus! I have told you numerous times to not leave the house if you were feeling like that! What if you had hurt yourself? Hurt _someone_ else, and I wasn’t there to vouch for you?” I couldn’t believe my brother. Did he truly think I would find running an errand for him to be a burden, when I had done so numerous times before? To cut my work short if need be, in order to take care of him?

”didn’t wanna break your groove.” Papyrus muttered, staring up at the ceiling. “you’ve been in a better mood with a set schedule.”

”Which You Know I Will Change At A Moment’s Notice To Ensure That You Are Safe And Aren’t Suffering From Past Injuries.” I fought to keep my tone from pitching into a shout. Papyrus really thought I wouldn’t stand having my day disrupted? When we had always been there for one another, no matter which universe we were living in, or how much of my time during the day was consumed with tasks? 

”i thought i could take care of it.” Papyrus mumbled, the hand not holding y/n’s reaching up to hook a few phalange around his collar. “you don’t always have to keep an eye on me, bro. i should be able to do more on my own, now that we’re on the surface.”

”Be that as it may, it doesn't change my mind. If you are in need of help with procuring medicines and medical drugs, and you are unable to go get them yourself, I can and will do it myself. That hasn't changed because I have a job now." It was a struggle to keep my voice level. 

"bro, you got better things to do than babysit me." Papyrus sounded bitter, his fingers tightening around his collar to the point that it looked painful. "you shouldn't have had to do that back in the underground, let alone now."

"And yet I did, making certain you got up and went to your sentry station. To make you get out of bed on days off, or to make certain you had those more...questionable joints to smoke on particularly bad days." I frowned. "I did all that, because I knew what you had sacrificed for me in the past while we were growing up. For me to be unharmed so that I had the opportunity to join the royal guard." I pointed out, before shifting uncomfortably on the chair. "I do not believe for a second that being the Judge for our Underground was your decision, and from what you have told me, you had been the Judge for some time. And Queen Toriel never informed me of this job of yours. Had I known, I would not have pushed you so hard about being late to sentry duty or when you fell asleep at odd intervals. Would have been less harsh on the punishments the rest of the guard seemed to insist upon for insubordinate acts..."

"she never said anything, because she threatened to kill you, were you to find out. 'specially if i specifically said it to your face." Papyrus said listlessly, his sharp fangs curving into a self-decrepit smile. "not that i coulda told you before. not till we came here to this universe." Papyrus' left arm twitched. The limb and side of his body that had taken the most damage from the backfire that brought us here. "tori didn't mention that little detail when she used some magic on the side to make sure i showed my face when it was requited to be in judgement hall."

"What." I didn't like how detached Papyrus' voice was becoming. Nor the implication of the use of compulsive sigil magic. "she would not kill the captain of the royal guard, nor would she use those forbidden sigil magic."

"you weren't captain at the time. and she did it anyway, bro. tori wasn't gonna let a new Judge slip through her paws, even if she had to use underhanded tactics to gain my cooperation" Papyrus said softly, looking away from me back to the ceiling. "it happened when you were still in stripes. i knew she would've gone through with her threat to kill you, even when you were still in stripes, had i not agreed to use my Judge's magic for her."

"When?" I shouldn't have pursued this topic of conversation, and yet, I needed to know. Everything was twisted around in my mind. Hadn't Queen Toriel been doing what she thought was best for monster kind? Yes, there were punishments and discipline meted out, bit why? Why would she need to go to such lengths against her own people? 

Then, it hit me. 

I was a fool. 

Papyrus hated being forced to fight. And since the Judge was both jury and executioner, that would push Papyrus to fight against his will, punishing whoever was found guilty according to the Queen's edicts.

"Your LV went up once you were out of stripes...most of it was from your duty as the Judge, wasn't it? Not because you were attacked on your way home numerous time. And when your EXP gain slowed...was it because there wasn't anyone left to judge? Or because the guilty had no LV or EXP?"

Papyrus said nothing.

"And you couldn't tell me because of the sigil? Or because the Queen might notice if you spoke of it..." I was...I didn't know how to process all of this, other than to be furious on my brother's behalf. But there was one more thing I had to know. "When you said she threatened to kill me if you didn't become the Judge...when did this occur?"

"i didn't wanna be pinned down like that, even with the sigil already active." Papyrus said automatically, tone distant. "she figured out my weakness pretty quick. coulda threatened to hurt me but knew i woulda dusted instead of bowing down to the inevitable. to come when called without complaint." Papyrus' claws dug into the leather of the collar. "then you came along, right on que, and i knew i couldn't say no to tori. you gave me a great big hug, happy as a clam with that boundless energy you had as a kid, when you got to actually see and be in the throne room.."

I...

Oh.

No.

My sockets twitched, my eye lights brightening to a vivid purple as I ground my fangs together.

That _bitch_.

How _dare_ she do that to my brother.

I remembered that day perfectly, because it had been one of the most memorable days I had up to that point in my short life. Of taking one step closer to joining the guard by bring allowed on a tour of some of the sentry stations, after being able to visit the throne room and meeting the queen. That memory would now be forever tarnished by the fact that I had been used as a bargaining chip to gain my brother's loyalty and obedience to the crown.

"tori can be pretty convincing when she knows what makes you tick." Papyrus fangs were twisted up into a wry smile. "i didn't give a shit about my job but i did it anyway. i never knew, even when you were in the guard, if she would carry out her threat of dusting you if i stopped being the judge for her."

"You were...16 then?" I asked. That would put me at 9 years of age. "Why didn't you say anything once I became captain? Why didn't you let me help you? Surely the Queen would have-"

"why let your pet executioner be known to someone who would have insisted i stop?" Papyrus interrupted emotionlessly. "why allow the captain of the royal guard to carry out certain punishments when the Judge is already equipped to do so?"

"I would have-"

"leave it alone, sans." Papyrus finally met my gaze. He looked wrung thin, his soul in great distress. "i don't wanna think about it anymore."

"I...very well." My fangs snapped together and with great difficulty, I did as asked. I left the matter alone, and steered the conversation to something less heavy, which I hoped would pull Papyrus out of his dismal mood. "Back to the fact that we are on the surface, then, and how we are not under constant attack."

"suppose that is a good thing. i can finally nap in peace." Papyrus agreed, still not quite sounding like himself.

Time for something more drastic.

"I suppose you can get in those naps of yours, but you also have the chance to follow your soul’s desire." I saw the way Papyrus' eye light shrunk and his cheek bones flushed a faint purple. I allowed myself a triumphant grin. "Yes, brother, I can hear your soul right now!" I can hear the pain in it, but it was dissipating as I gave Papyrus something else to focus on. My voice rose as I continued. "You Have A Human You Are Interested In Being A Date-Mate With, And Yet, You Are Denying Yourself That Connection, Despite Being So Comfortable Around Them.” I watched as Papyrus resumed grasping the collar tightly, a tell of his own that he was grounding himself to the here and now. “I Highly Doubt You Decided To Lie Where You Are Yourself, Brother. It Follows That Y/n Must Have Asked You To.”

Papyrus cheekbones dusted a deeper purple.

”What happened while I was unconscious?" I brought my volume down when y/n shifted in their sleep. "I felt healing magic. It wasn’t yours, so it had to have been...Jury’s magic.” I took temporary mercy on Papyrus, though I was not letting the matter lie quite yet. An embarrassed soul was a great deal better than one in anguish.

“y/n let jury into the apartment and he set you down on the chair. he healed you and only managed to heal me because i couldn’t move, though i was kinda holding onto y/n to keep jury away from them.” Papyrus closed his good socket, the purple flush not yet fading.

I waited for more information. There had to be more than just Jury healing the two of us after the battle and then leaving. When there were no more words forthcoming, I bit back an aggravated sigh.

”Mongrel! If you do not finish your report, I am going to tell y/n of your interest in them myself!”

That got Papyrus to look at me. The faint panic and embarrassment was amusing in a way, because y/n presumably asking him to lie across their lap was telling to me.

”sans.”

”Papyrus.”

”don’t say a word.” Papyrus’ eye light had shrank, but there was an increase of purple across his cheekbones.

“I doubt I will have to." I said simply. "I can sense from over here that your soul is practically buzzing with happiness from just lying there on y/n's lap.” 

”Jury said he would talk to his brother." Papyrus said hastily. No doubt he wanted to avoid talking about himself and y/n. Papyrus drew a piece of paper out of his pocket without jostling y/n. "i didn't notice it before, but jury left his phone number. he wants us to set up a time to meet with him and judge in the near future to have a chat.” 

The distraction was successful.

”What.” The idea of speaking to Judge again so soon filled me with unease. I did not care for the monster at all after our previous meeting. For me to speak with him again, and continue to skirt around the demise of the humans in the alley seemed dangerous. But if Jury felt a meeting to be beneficial...then meet with Judge I would. At least having Papyrus by my side should make the conversation run more smoothly. I could always have my brother shortcut us away if things went south or we found ourselves in an unfavorable position.

”How about we talk about your soul now, m’lord?”

“The fact that it is still healing?” I gave my brother a haughty glare for his sly tone. It was ineffective, so I huffed out an irritable breath. “I will have you know, brother, that my soul isn’t fluttering around like a lovestruck fool.”

”dunno, bro, it was pretty protective of y/n and ready to dust someone when you saw they were with that monster kid and i was unconscious.” Papyrus drawled, fingers still curled around the collar, his fangs tugged up into a smile. It was good to see his dark mood vanishing for the time being.

”MY SOUL DID NO SUCH THING, PAPY!” My voice raised up to its usual volume at that, though I refused to acknowledge that it had cracked to a higher pitch by the end. My soul had no business feeling anything toward y/n, apart from ensuring my brother’s date-mate was safe. And he had better admit to wanting that before I let it slip again.

”sure it didn’t.” Papyrus agreed too easily, still smiling.

That was _it_.

I wouldn't allow my brother to torment himself any longer.

“Papyrus...” I drew out my dating guide book out of my inventory. Making certain that my intent would not cause any harm to Papyrus’ HP, I perfectly nailed my brother directly in the face with the book. “CONFESS TO YOUR SOUL’S DESIRES! ASK Y/N TO BE YOUR DATE-MATE, LEST YOUR MIND RESUMES ITS ATTEMPT TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU DO NOT DESERVE HAPPINESS!”

“bro!” Papyrus let out a startled bark of laughter. He picked the book up off his face with the hand he'd been holding his collar with. “i-“

”Is It My Fault That You Have Not Yet Approached Y/n About Being Date-Mates?” I interrupted, my fingers restlessly grasping my bandana. “Was It Something I Said While Recovering From My Injuries Against Those Humans In The Alley, Months Ago? That I Continued Later On With, When I Insisted On Something That Had Not Yet Happened Between Yourself And Y/n?” Was it my fault that my brother continued to deny himself some measure of happiness?

”it didn’t help that you were so certain that y/n and i were already date-mates.” Papyrus agreed with in a mutter, staring at the book. He didn’t seem to notice he was still holding y/n’s hand with his free hand. “but i _don’t_ deserve to be date-mates, with anyone. not after everything that I’ve done. all of those...judgements.”

”Nonsense.” I snapped at Papyrus. It really was difficult for me to keep the volume of my voice down, lest I wake up y/n. “You and I both know that what we did in the past was to survive, and does not have to define us. If you let it, then you will never move on from past actions and decisions.” I vaguely gestured around us. “We’re safe, for the first time in our lives, pending some...discussion, I assume, with our alternates.” I sagged back in the chair I was seated on, feeling drained as I waited for my HP to fully restore itself.

”you think they would say yes?” Papyrus’ voice was soft, hopeful yet uncertain.

”Stupid mongrel.” I growled half-heartedly, my sockets closing. “Don’t ask me. Ask y/n once they’ve woken.” 

“Ask me what?” Y/n yawned.

I cracked a socket open over the way Papyrus’ soul nervously began to twist itself into knots. Despite my irritating exhaustion, I wasn’t about to miss out on my older brother fumbling his way through attempting to ask y/n to be his date-mate properly. Was it too much to ask that he follow the foolproof steps the dating guide book put forth? It seemed so, with the next words that came out of my brother's mouth.

”wanna be my date-mate?” Papyrus blurted out, before promptly covering his face with the dating guide book as his mind caught up with his mouth.

Not exactly the best way to go about it, but I wholly approved of my brother's sudden boldness.

“not...not because my bro thought we were before. i just...didn’t know how to ask...'specially after he went and...started sayin’ stuff while high off healing magic and meds...kinda left it alone after that cause i didn't know how you...felt about it, i guess, since we just hung out and stuff...”

I opened my other socket at the words being tossed out haphazardly. 

Not very eloquent, but points for honesty, I suppose.

Papyrus never was very good at stating his feelings or admitting to wanting more than what he already had. A stuttering mess he became when he even made the attempt, especially when it came to something Papyrus wanted but felt he didn't deserve. Like extra bbq sauce or extra pillows and blankets at home. A larger portion of a meal or something that wasn't tacos or burritos for lunch and dinner.

A date-mate.

It was interesting to watch the scene unfold before me, because Papyrus didn’t normally have any trouble letting his thoughts be known. At least on matters that did not gear toward romantic endeavors. Not that I was any better with my own emotions in matters of the heart and soul. But I was going to ignore my own feelings in favor of seeing what y/n thought of Papyrus stumbling over his words, with the embarrassed air of one who didn’t know when to stop to let the other party speak.

The genuine smile y/n wore seemed promising for my brother, as was the tug of war on the dating guide book. Papyrus was still using the book to hide his face, even though his entire skull flushed purple as he stuttered nonsense as he prevented y/n from seeing the state he was in.

Idiot.

Had y/n been a monster, Papyrus’ soul would have completely given him away, no matter what he chose to say or do.

I made myself comfortable on the chair, my weariness and unhappy memories briefly forgotten in favor of the spectacle that was my brother's admission of interest. A faint grin crossed my fangs as I clasped my hands together to set just beneath my ribs. This was going to be quite amusing to witness.

At least until Papyrus let out a shameless rattling purr when y/n got a hand on his skull and pet it, successfully pulling the dating guide book out of my brother's limp grasp.

My own memory ruined the moment of enjoying my brother's stutters and attempts to get the book back. The memory of how it had felt to have y/n tracing my skull similarly, after I'd been confronted by Judge. How relaxing that had been. How soothing the motions were, and how the tension drained from me. I believe I'd been on the verge of purring myself, had I not been in such a wretched state upon arrival to y/n's apartment. 

I dismissed the memory.

Confusing emotions were never something I liked to dwell on for long, so I ignored it completely. I wasn't about to intrude on my brother's happiness either. I talked myself into being happy for Papyrus instead, all second guesses and questions gone from my mind. 

Papyrus was finally going to properly be date-mates with y/n, once he finished stumbling through an awkward conversation of his own making.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, at least Papyrus admits to it, if not really thinking about what it would sound like to someone else, since he hasn't been giving the reader any indication of being anything but friends. Friendly friends with reader, whom he nuzzles when out of it and cuddles whenever he can. Not like he wouldn’t have been questioned about his protectiveness with Jury around later anyhow. But how will the reader react to his words? (Spoiler but not: reader is going to be confused but charmed by poor Papyrus’ embarrassment and hopefulness). COMMUNICATION. Finally.
> 
> My aim is to have the next chapter posted early to mid-March, unless I have a flash of brilliance between now and then. This fic has a lot more going on plot-wise, including things going on in the background (and more story to cover than some other fics I’m working on). I’d like to do well with that part of the story, while also working on the romance aspect, which has been floating around but not happening yet. 
> 
> Soon though.
> 
> Like I'm finally going to be able to address the idea of a relationship in the next chapter. Because hey, the reader is awake with a skeleton still sprawled on their lap, practically rattle/purring with happiness amidst his stutters and fumbling of 'hey wanna date me oh shoot that came out too forward, abort, backpedal, backpedal, just because Sans admits to him being too enthusiastic in encouraging it doesn't mean I meant to blurt it out straight away, I still don't think I deserve it etc, etc.' 
> 
> Anyhoo...This has been much more of a slow burn than anticipated, even if SF Papyrus is ready for it but still denying a possible relationship for himself up until now (I swear, it’s gonna be at like 100k and he’ll just be starting to be comfortable being date mates and holding hands-got to have a heart to heart (soul?) about it first). 
> 
> Also, SF Sans while encouraging his brother but ignoring his own emotions:  
> Feelings? My soul feels nothing. I am a cold, heartless captain of the royal guard. My enemies cower before me. What feelings are these you speak of?


End file.
